Happens Sept. 24-26 with 270 performers spread across 23 stages.

By Blurt Staff

Standing shoulder to shoulder, packed into a club so tightly it's hard to raise your beer, anxiously waiting to hear the next-big-thing before it becomes the next-big thing.

That's the vibe at Cincinnati's MidPoint Music Festival. Three days of creative expression and musical innovation, happening Sept. 24-26 throughout downtown Cincinnati, adjacent historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and even across the Ohio River to the Southgate House in Newport, KY.

And one might go as far to say it's somewhat apropos to find such a festival in Cincinnati given its place in music history and its current day music scene.

Historically, Cincinnati lays claim to a critical role in the conception of rock 'n' roll as home of the fabled King Records, which released such classics of R&B, blues, country and funk as Wynonie Harris' "Good Rockin' Tonight," James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," Hank Ballard & the Midnighters' "The Twist," Cowboy Copas' "Tennessee Waltz," Delmore Brothers' "Blues Stay Away From Me," and Little Willie John's "Fever." Another local label, Fraternity Records, introduced guitar-hero Lonnie Mack to the world. And among the city's most celebrated current residents is the great funk bassist Bootsy Collins.

Take this history and interweave it with a thriving music scene and you've got fertile ground for up-and-coming artists and music fans alike.

Starting Thursday night, the city transforms itself into a walk-able music fest, spanning 23 venues throughout downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, entertaining the sounds of 270 indie-rock musical acts from around the world. And it is all extremely affordable - a three-day pass good for all shows is available for just $29.

MPMF.09, as the festival is sometimes called, features headliners like the Cincinnati-originated Heartless Bastards - a major 2009 music-industry success story - as well as two other local bands with growing national followings, Wussy and the Pomegranates.

Among the bigger acts coming to the city from elsewhere for the fest are Chairlift, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, a pop quartet from Chicago.

And the long list of buzzed-about newcomers includes the do, a male-female duo from France and Finland; the New York/Malaysia group Shayna Zaid and the Catch; Chicago-based melodic rockers Brighton, MA; and Toronto's red-hot dance band God Made Me Funky.

Four independent record labels - Cincinnati's All Night Party, Indianapolis' Standard Recording Co., New York's ReThink Pop Music, and Chicago's DataWasLost - will host showcases, taking over specific clubs for an entire night of music by their acts.

"MidPoint is the flagship for the music town that is Cincinnati," says Dan McCabe, the festival's executive producer. "This is the type of congregation of artists from all over world that you'd expect from a town that has such a musical tradition."

In this, the festival's second year under McCabe's aegis, the number of acts has grown to 270 from 175. More than 1,000 performers worldwide contacted McCabe about appearing in Cincinnati - a 40 percent increase from the previous year. There are also newer and more varied venues; 23 stages will be operating each of the festival's nights.

One of the biggest will be an outdoor tent capable of holding 800 people outside Grammer's, a landmark 19th Century German restaurant in the Over the Rhine neighborhood recently reborn as a popular gathering spot for young urbanites. Headliners will play there each night, but since its shows will end at 11 p.m., attendees can afterward have time to see more up-and-coming acts at the more intimate clubs.

Other venues - like downtown's Washington Platform restaurant and Madonna's bar - will be smaller and have their own special allure. Many of the venues are within walking distance of each other, but MidPoint will be operating a fleet of 16 Toyota Scion XBs to give attendees rides between sites.

And for the first time, downtown's Contemporary Arts Center - designed by the visionary architect Zaha Hadid to international acclaim - will also host concerts, as well as MidPoint's Lite Brite Film Test. The latter will have programming from Ottawa's International Animation Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. MidPoint pass holders also get free admission to museum exhibits.

"One of the fun things about MidPoint is to go into a crowded room and rub shoulder to shoulder with other music fans," McCabe says. "There's the kinetic energy of discovering new music together. MidPoint is fertile ground for being blown way by the best new music. With 23 stages each night, you're going to have that happen multiple times." While the venues are located, for the most part, within walking distance of each other, MidPoint's Scion Streetcars will mimick Cincinnati's proposed streetcar route in an effort to promote the initiative.

To purchase tickets and get more info, visit http://www.MPMF.com

Serving up a free album at his website right now!

By Blurt Staff

Ben Lee has reformed Noise Addict with Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr./Sebadoh and Lara Meyerratken of El May.  Their new 15-song album, It Was Never About The Audience, was released today for free download via http://noiseaddict.net

Just click and enjoy!

   It is the first music bearing the Noise Addict name in 13 years since the release of the debut full length album, Meet The Real You, released via Grand Royal in 1996.

Ben Lee offered "I've wanted to make another Noise Addict record for awhile now.  Noise Addict is a place more than a band.  But it's a band too.  This record was inspired by out of tune guitars, Jonathan Richman, and lasagne...not the actual pasta - just the word."  He added, "The new lineup on this recording is me, Lou Barlow and Lara Meyerratken.  That's a new lineup for the band, but the principle remains the same: everything recorded quickly, in my bedroom, with lots of stupid rules like no mic-stands.  The songs were all written by me except ‘Lasagne,' which I co-wrote with my step-daughter Kate." 

Noise Addict was formed in Bondi Beach, Australia in 1992 by a then 13-year old Ben Lee.  After opening for Fugazi the same year, their demo tape was passed on to Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, who officially released the recording, known as DEF, on his Ecstatic Peace label in 1993.   The Beastie Boys Mike D then signed the band to their Grand Royal imprint and released the Young and Jaded EP in 1995.  That release featured the Evan Dando-inspired track "I Wish I Was Him."  The same year, Lee issued his solo debut, the critically acclaimed Grandpaw Would LP.  In 1996, Grand Royal issued Noise Addict's full length debut album, Meet The Real You.  The group disbanded soon after their first and only tour of the U.S. 

To date, Ben Lee has released seven solo albums, most recently this year's The Rebirth of Venus, released via Dew Process in Australia and New Zealand and New West Records in the rest of the world.

It Was Never About The Audience Tracklisting:

1. That's How It Goes

2. Do I Know You

3. Get Well

4. Chris Martin's Frown

5. Big Ups

6. Drop That Ghost

7. Hey Baby

8. Lasagne

9. Faster Side of Normal

10. Let Your Heart Decide It

11. Cloudchasing

12. Not Afraid

13. Gravity

14. I Heart Your Band

15. Let's Do Our Thing

Awesome west coast singer songwriter has her self-released new album hitting stores today... Tour dates below, too.

By Blurt Staff

Released, today, September 1, songstress Sonya Cotton's new album Red River includes the luscious track "Hunters" - and we've got the video for it right here at Blurt. Just click on the link or scroll down to our Blurt TV video kiosk to view it.

Meanwhile, here's some deets you need to know about the young lady. She'll also be doing selected west coast tour dates starting this weekend; see below for her itinerary.

***

"I'm going West, you should come."

It was a cold winter morning in Connecticut. Sonya Cotton looked out over the frozen lake as her mind flooded with visions of the open road. Her best friend continued: "It would be good for you, to get away for a while." The timing felt like a sign, a call to rise after a year of tumult.

Over the past year, Sonya watched as the most important and defining loving relationships around her, including her own, dissolved. Reeling from the dismantling of these unions, she felt herself the victim as well as the perpetrator of a great deal of destruction and betrayal. Living in the suburbs of the northeast, she perceived this destruction paralleled in the dead animals along the roadside that she passed every day. She saw herself and loved ones in the dead deer: innocent, inflicted upon, and disregarded. She also saw herself and loved ones in the perpetrators of their deaths: self-consumed, unconscious, and untrustworthy.

She began to have dreams of the wreckage. These dreams inspired the first songs that would become Red River, Sonya Cotton's album to be released this July. Deer appeared night after night, broken and bloodied, strewn on the living room floor, buried like secrets at the bottom of a canal, lying in the stained hands of a hunter, or inside of her own belly. These haunting dreams did not wane with time, for vestiges of the wreckage remained all around her. The escape to the west held promise:

"I'm coming with you."

The 11 songs of Red River chronicle this journey from the darkness of the east towards the promise of the west. In the course of this journey, redemption and faith are found in the midst of the destruction, and beauty is pulled from the darkness through song: "In this broken body is a red river, we will wait with our faith for this pile of bones for to rise."

Once in San Francisco, Sonya actively immersed herself in the folk music community there, refining her dream images into songs, and befriending the musicians who were to become her band. The tight three-part vocal harmonies and lush orchestrations that emerged from this cooperative effort produced the sweeping, distinctive sounds of Red River. Mirroring the emotional space from which the songs were born, the album was recorded in the legendary Hyde Street Studio C (David Crosby, The Grateful Dead) a reputedly haunted space, where Sonya's sessions were often recorded in the dark. From this haunted darkness Sonya and the band voiced the nightmares carried from the east, and transformed them, bringing to light the gentle beauty and the power of Red River.

In June ‘09, Sonya Cotton embarked on a 45 mile walking tour of the California Coastal Trail, playing nightly shows throughout Marin County. She is currently preparing for a September '09 tour by train and foot. These alternative modes of touring are in keeping with the main theme of the album ­ that of rising out of the patterns of destruction that we inflict upon one another, and choosing instead a more reverent and life-affirming path.

Tour Dates:

sep 05 - Portland, OR - The Woods (3 Leg Torso)
sep 05 - Portland, OR - In Other Words Women's Books and Resources (early performance, 3pm)
sep 06 - Olympia, WA - The Finger Complex (7pm, FREE!, 203 Rogers St. NW)
sep 07 - Ocean Shores, WA - Galilean Lutheran Church (Concert Fundraiser for Garden by the Sea)
sep 11 - Chico, CA - Center for Peace and Justice (Ma'Muse)
sep 12 - Davis, CA - Rominger West Winery

Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones supergroup getting their mojo working following that big post-Lollapalooza coming-out party and other testing-the-waters goings-on... video clips below...

By Blurt Staff

Posted to the band's forum this afternoon was news about an upcoming tour (tickets will go on sale this Sat., Sept. 5 - details at http://themcrookedvultures.com by signing up for the newsletter):

Descending on Austin for Festival & TV appearances

The tour kicks off with an October 2 performance at the Austin City Limits music festival, to be preceded by a September 30 Austin City Limits TV taping to air at a later date TBD, as well as an appearance at the October 1 Austin City Limits festival pre-party.

North America Fall Tour 2009

Thu, 1st October / Austin TX Stubb's
Fri, 2nd October / Austin TX Austin City Limits
Mon, 5th October / Nashville TN War Memorial
Tue, 6th October / Columbus OH LC Pavilion
Thu, 8th October / Detroit MI The Fillmore
Fri, 9th October / Toronto ONT Sound Academy
Sun, 11th October / Boston MA House of Blues
Mon, 12th October / Philadelphia PA Electric Factory
Wed, 14th October / Washington DC 930 Club

Europe Winter 2009

Thu, 10th December / Plymouth / Plymouth Pavilions
Fri, 11th December / Portsmouth / Portsmouth Guildhall
Sun, 13th December / Blackpool / Empress Ballroom
Mon, 14th December / Birmingham / O2 Academy Birmingham
Tue, 15th December / Edinburgh / Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Thu, 17th December / London / Hammersmith Apollo

Meanwhile, check out the band's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/themcrookedvultures), which is currently airing another video snippet, this time for a track called "Elephants" (below) as well as a number of not-too-shabby live clips.

(noun) Band (verb) writes from the (noun) road.

By Fred Mills

Our pals over at Outlandos Music alerted us to a fascinating little exercise in Mad Libbery, courtesy the might Kaiser Cartel (whose new EP, Rock Island, is due later this month).

It's a letter from the road, done Mad Lib style. You can read the entire entry here, but check out this teaser from Courtney and Benjamin. We smell an industry-wide trend in the germination stages....

Before leaving on tour, we made sure to pack the (noun) banana in preparation for two-weeks on the road in (name of country) Kazakhstan. At our first show, we were fortunate to have (name of famous person) Andy Warhol as a support act.

Yeah, can't forget to pack those bananas!

Hip-hop luminaries also featured in new issue of Blurt.

By Blurt Staff

he four men better known to the world as Anti-Pop Consortium - Beans, M. Sayyid, High Priest, and Earl Blaize, are bringing their futuristic brand of hip-hop back to the people in a series of shows across the US this fall, including a coveted slot at this year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in New York.  Their new album, Fluorescent Black (out October 6th on Big Dada), is yet another step beyond what anyone else in hip-hop is doing right now - a feat that they seem to have accomplished with every album, from their debut Tragic Epilogue (2000) to their monumental benchmark album Arrhythmia (2002).  The band's live show is the stuff of legend, having toured with a diverse array of artists such as Radiohead, DJ Shadow, Public Enemy, Stereolab, The Faint, Prefuse 73 and more. 

Watch the next issue of Blurt, due in late September, for an interview with APC.


Tour Dates:

9/12/09    MONTICELLO, NY            ATP FESTIVAL
9/29/09    NEW YORK, NY            SANTOS (CD RELEASE PARTY)
10/1/09    CLEVELAND, OH            GROG SHOP
10/2/09    CHICAGO, IL                EMPTY BOTTLE (CD RELEASE PARTY)
10/3/09    DETROIT, MI                PIKE ROOM
10/6/09    PHILADELPHIA, PA            SILK CITY
10/7/09    BALTIMORE, MD            TALKING HEAD
10/8/09    BOSTON, MA                GREAT SCOTT
10/10/09    WASHINGTON, DC            ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL
10/11/09    CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA        IS LOUNGE
10/12/09    CHAPEL HILL, NC            LOCAL 506
10/13/09    RICHMOND, VA            CANAL CLUB

[Photo Credit: J. Yoon]

First album in ages from the erstwhile Husker Du drummer.

By Blurt Staff

Hot Wax is the name of the forthcoming Grant Hart album, due October 6 from Con D'or Records and MVD Audio.

You know the name Grant Hart of course. Since Hüsker Dü's split in 1987, drummer Hart picked up the guitar and moved out front, issuing a number of  solo releases and also serving as a member of the group Nova Mob. He has found a place and function in visual and dramatic art forms as well. Hot Wax will be Grant's sixth solo release overall, a project several years in the making.

Joining Hart on the disc is a diverse cast of musicians from Godspeed You Black Emperor, Silver Mt. Zion, and Rank Strangers with the tracks being recorded in both Montreal and Minneapolis.

Hart explains the genesis of some of the material: "The song 'Narcissus, Narcissus' is my first attempt at combining ancient Greek mythology and American rock-a-billy. By merging those influences with an ice cream truck atmosphere I think I have found a style that defines this period of my career. 'You're the Reflection of the Moon on the Water' is one of the most organic rock and roll songs that I have ever written. Its style owes a lot to my devotion for Patti Smith. It was inspired by a comment made by a monk during the selection process to find the next Panchen Lhama, who said of one candidate, 'He is the reflection of the moon on the water but he is not the moon'."

See the cover art, below, as you mark your calendars

This is your brain on Fu. Any questions? Heavy outfit cranks it to 11 on 11^th full length.

By Blurt Staff

Fuzz-stoner psychedelicists FU MANCHU will release their new album, "Signs of Infinite Power", on October 20 via Century Media Records.

Recorded at Maple Studios in Santa Ana, California by the band and producer Sergio Chavez (MOTÖRHEAD, HELMET) and mixed by Andrew Alekel (FOO FIGHTERSimage, DANZIG), "Signs of Infinite Power" is the SoCal combo's 11^th full length. See the track listing below.

"We're stoked to unleash 'Signs of Infinite Power' because we feel that it's the best record that we've ever made," states FU MANCHU vocalist/guitarist Scott Hill. "We're can't believe that we're going into our twentieth year as a band. The excitement and energy levels that we're feeling right now are as high as they've ever been."

Additionally, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, FU MANCHU has a number of very special events planned for 2010. The band will unveil a host of plans that include rolling out both one-of-a-kind live events and extra special vinyl releases. Additionally, the VIRULENCE (pre-FU MANCHU) recordings will be remastered and packaged with the band's "1985-87 demos" and both live songs and video footage from 1987-89 under the title "If This Isn't A Dream...1985-1989". The package will be made available on both CD and LP and is slated for a winter 2009 release via Southern Lord Records.

FU MANCHU will tour the U.S. this fall, dates tba.

Track Listing:

01. Bionic Astronautics
02. http://www.facebook.com/l/;Steel.Beast.Defeated
03. Against the Ground
04. Webfoot Witch Hat
05. El Busta
06. Signs of Infinite Power
07. Eyes x 10
08. Gargantuan March
09. Take It Away
10. One Step Too Far

[Photo Credit: Jerami Johnson]

Freedom rings out all across the land. Swine flu recipients need not apply...

By Blurt Staff

You know that we here at BLURT are all about Chuck Prophet, from his groundbreaking proto-Americana work back in the day with Green On Red all the way through his celebrated solo career. And whether checking in on the songwriter's efforts to evade the swine flu or getting updated on the progress with his new Yep Roc album ¡Let Freedom Ring!, due out in late October, we keep our lens trained on the man, the artist, the rocker. (Chuck, don't be paranoid. The courts have decreed we have to remain at least 30 feet away at all times.)

Which is all just a long winded introduction to telling you about his video trailer for the album. Check it out below. As we put it in our upcoming review of the album, "Part narrative, part confessional, #¡Let Freedom Ring!# is the sound of an artist at the top of his game."

Our sources tell us that "FeelingPulledApartbyHorses" b/w "The Hollow Earth" will also come with a free download for all you iPod-happy Radiohead fans.

By Blurt Staff

This just in from Thom Yorke, posting to the Radiohead site. All dialogue reported verbatim. Meanwhile, don't miss his track on the upcoming Mark Mulcahy tribute album either...

***

Dear Sir or Madam

This is to inform you of the release of two more bits of work shortly. They are loosely under the Thom Yorke name this time, although these days its all getting kind of blurry.

FeelingPulledApartbyHorses is written & played by Jonny and I and is a radical rework of an old tune thats been kicking around without a home since 2001? i think. The Hollow Earth is a bass menace that was born out of the Eraser period but needed a little more time.

Both were produced by Nigel Godrich as ever. And mastered by Bob Ludwig. They are being put out on 12" with sliced sleeve by Stanley and Tchock. My sources tell me this will be available from the 21st of September if you're interested.. On sale in the w.a.s.t.e part of our website (with a gratis download.)

Or you can go buy it in a good record shop if you are lucky enough to have one near you. Then later on there will be like a normal download thing i think around the 6th of Oct through the usual channels.

And so it goes. all the best

Thom

The inside scoop, direct from the horse's (label's) mouth... and hey, where'd the beard go?!?

By Blurt Staff

So you've heard that Devendra Banhart signed to Warner Brothers and that incoming is his label debut, What Will We Be. Here's what we are being told about the record:

 ***

What Will We Be has a sunny, breezy feel with performances that evoke warm, lazy afternoons spent with good friends.  The album is dominated by powerfully melodic, mid-tempo numbers played with relaxed expertise. But there's also ambitious stylistic range displayed with the inclusion of evanescent ballads like "Meet Me At Lookout Point," the epic riff-rocker "Rats" sprightly R&B flavored groovers on "Baby,"  and the sultry Latin-flavored  stunner "Brindo,"  the Roxy-inspired "16th & Valencia, Roxy Music" among other pleasant surprises.

The basic recording line-up was Devendra on vocals and guitar; Noah Georgeson (producer of Banhart's last two albums, Little Joy, Bert Jansch and Joanna Newsome) on guitar and backing vocals, Greg Rogove (Priestbird) on drums and backing vocals; Luckey Remington (The Pleased) on bass and vocals and Rodrigo Amarante (Los Hermanos, Little Joy) on guitar and backing vocals. All the musicians involved played a part in arranging the songs recorded. Devendra and company took up residence in a private home, North of San Francisco, and set up a recording studio in it.

This is the second album Devendra's recorded with the same crew of players and all involved sound thoroughly comfortable, familiar and in synch with one another. It's accomplished, focused and straightforwardly handsome. Where Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon sounded like Devendra and friends brainstorming, sharing off-beat ideas and licks, What Will We Be sees them first and foremost addressing the particular needs of each individual composition. The vocal arrangements are noticeably more intricate yet crystalline with lush harmonies running through many of these numbers. The instrumental performances are still relaxed but very much on target

Well, somebody's a goddam golem, that's what we think. From those about to blurt, we salute you.

By Blurt Staff

Pssst... hey kids, ever wonder what it might be like touring with a Grammy-winning bunch of superstars? Being the opening act isn't all wine, roses, champagne and blow, however, despite the fact that you get to warm up huge crowds and pretend they are actually cheering for YOU. Sometimes... things go wrong. Sometimes... misunderstandings go down. Sometimes... the band's management tells everyone on the tour to act like dicks towards you.

That's what happened when the Ettes opened for the Kings of Leon earlier this year in Europe. Although the band was generally friendly at the outset, well.... you can read all about what happened at Ettes singer/guitarist Coco Hames' latest installment of her BLURT blog, "Look At Life." Here's a sample:

"They took away our rider.  They took away our guest list.  They took away our sound check.  No one was allowed to speak to us, and no one did.  Gone was the cajoling, open and energetic atmosphere of the first night, replaced by drone-solemn performance of duties and many tightly closed doors.  It was of course a bit embarrassing, and a bit of a hassle, but what could we do?"

Ah, Coco, you can do what any self-respecting punk rocker would do: batten down the hatches and take care of fucking taking care of stuff and continue being a professional rock and roller. From those of us about to BLURT, we salute you!

Read the entire blog entry here. 

Our first pick in a new series: New Zealand band's latest album is what's twirling our tassels as we head into the weekend...

By Fred Mills

What's that smoky-jangly-sexy-cool sound? Why, it's New Zealand's Clean, doing "In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul" from their new album Mister Pop. It's due next week from Merge recs, but you can take a listen to the tune to whet your appetite while you're reading our 9-out-of-10 star review of the album.

As BLURT's resident Clean fanatic Jennifer Kelly puts it, "This is easily one of the year's best albums, both a dream-fuzzed journey through non-linear states of consciousness and a well-crafted pop album. Play it a few times first losing yourself in its cloudy textures, then to finding guide ropes of melody that will lead you through to the end."

Everybody could use a little extra rubber soul these days... The Clean is BLURT's inaugural pick for Band O' The Week. Check back each Friday for that week's selection.

Listen up: "In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul"

Also kicking off a tour with Mirah at the end of this month.

By Blurt Staff

Norfolk & Western has just finished their new album, Dinero Severo (recorded both in Portland's Type Foundry studio, owned by Norfolk's Adam Selzer, and in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain) and the band is now streaming the record in its entirety for a limited time on their website. The official release date is tba.

Check it out: www.norfolkandwestern.org

The past year has been an extremely busy one, as Norfolk members have been and are continuing to play and tour with M. Ward (Adam Selzer), Jolie Holland (Rachel Blumberg, Dave Depper), Mirah (Rachel Blumberg) and Loch Lomond (Dave Depper).

But now that everyone's back from their respective tours, Norfolk & Western will reconvene and hit the road this fall supporting Mirah.

Track Listing:

1. Hiding Home

2. Opinion

3. Turkish Wine

4. Every Morning

5. The Long Goodbye

6. Future Mother

7. Whippoorwill Song

8. Not For Good

9. So That's How It Is

10. Angel Feet

11. This is a Number 5

Tour Dates:

09-30: Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium

10-01: Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Centre

10-02: Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater - Stage Door

10-03: Chicago, IL @ Schubas (two shows)

10-04: Detroit, MI @ The Guardian Building

10-06: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club

10-07: Montreal, QC @ Il Motore

10-08: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Lounge

10-09: Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theater

10-10: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

10-11: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live Upstairs

10-12: Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern

10-14: Decatur, GA @ Eddie's Attic

10-15: Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge

10-16: St. Louis, MO @ Biliken Club

10-17: Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon

10-19: Denver, CO @ Walnut Room

10-21: Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue

10-22: Garden City, ID @ Visual Arts Collective

10-24: Portland, OR @ The Woods

Keyboardist had played with the band for two decades.

By Fred Mills

Reports coming in from the UK media that Jack Brockman, who'd been touring as Echo & the Bunnymen's keyboardist since 1989 (and had been recording with them for several years prior to then) was killed Tuesday in a motorcycle accident on the Isle of Man. He was 53.

According to the NME.com, the bike he was on collided with a converted ambulance. Seriously injured, he was taken to a hospital where he died in intensive care.

On the Bunnymen.com website Brockman's photo was posted along with the words, "Our thoughts are with his wife, family & friends. Love, Ian, Will, Les, Peasy, Pete, Peter & all his fans." A new Bunnymen album, Fountains, will be released next month.

The site's websmaster, Peter Allen, was quoted in the Isle Of Man Today (iomtoday.co.im) as saying, "Jake was one of the most gentle, funny and genuine men you could ask to ever meet. "He played on most of the band's biggest hits and toured with the band from the early '80s. He will be hugely missed not just by the band, but by thousands of fans who met him over the years."

Brockman also performed with Damon Reece in Bom.

First installment to be the legendary, oft-bootlegged El Mocambo show from '78.

By Blurt Staff 

The first edition in the The Costello Show live performance series of complete concerts featuring Elvis Costello finds one of the most eclectic and acclaimed artists at the fiery start of his career.  Live At The El Mocambo (Hip-O/UM^e), to be released September 29 marks Volume 1 of his Elvis Costello -The Costello Show series of albums.  During the next year or so, the The Costello Show series will continue with the album releases of significant classic Costello concerts including a performance at Hollywood High in California and other shows to be announced.

Recorded March 6, 1978, at the sold-out El Mocambo in Toronto, Canada, and broadcast live by CHUM-FM, this Elvis Costello and The Attractions concert was released the same year on about 300-500 pressings of a Canadian promotional album that became highly collectible-and heavily bootlegged.  In fact, it may have been the most bootlegged of all Costello albums.  The album was officially released in 1993 as a bonus disc in the four-CD box set 2 1/2 Years, and was also made available to those who bought the other three CDs separately.

At the time of the concert, the band was touring North America in support of My Aim Is True, Costello's 1977 debut disc, and just days before the release of This Year's Model, the first album with The Attractions: keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas.  The raw, energetic live performance in the midst of the late ‘70s punk/new wave movement captured a band and an artist at their most impassioned.  The concert included My Aim Is True's "Watching The Detectives," "Less Than Zero" (with new lyrics Costello penned for American listeners), "Mystery Dance," "Waiting For The End Of The World," "Welcome To The Working Week" and "Miracle Man," and This Year's Model's anthemic "Pump It Up," "The Beat," "Lip Service," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" (only on the original U.K. album), "Little Triggers," "Radio Radio" (only on the U.S. edition), "Lipstick Vogue" and "You Belong To Me."

Michael Rother in the process of transferring tapes, combing through unreleased material, even mulling over making the back catalog available for download.

By Fred Mills

Word arrives today that a box set of Krautrock pioneers NEU! is being prepped for release by guitarist Michael Rother. Rother of course co-founded the band in 1971 with drummer Klaus Dinger following the pair's departure from an early incarnation of Kraftwerk; with producer Conny Plank overseeing the recordings. NEU! issued a trio of albums (plus several posthumous releases) now considered seminal artifacts of the ‘70s German rock scene, subsequently influencing several generations' worth of fans, among them David Bowie, Johnny Rotten, Stereolab and Radiohead. (Wikipedia page on the band is here.)

The NEU! tale is a long and tangled one, of course, and with Dinger's passing in March of 2008 that tale effectively came to a close. However, in a recent interview with BLURT's Wilson Neate, Rother disclosed the news about the forthcoming box set.

"I'm working on a NEU! vinyl box set, which will include an LP-sized booklet with text about NEU! and some as-yet unpublished photos," explains Rother. "I'm still in the middle of the project. So far, the idea is to release NEU!, NEU! 2, NEU! '75 and a re-worked version of NEU! 4 (which I think will be called NEU! '86 like we'd originally intended) including some material from 1985-86 that is as-yet unknown to the public. Plus -- possibly -- excerpts of Live '72 (the recording of a rehearsal).

"When I've finished editing NEU! '86, I'll check those live recordings and edit the highlights. I'm in the process of reliving that project with Klaus. When we separated, we weren't finished with the project and Klaus decided to do that behind my back because I think he was just paranoid and needed the money, etc. -- well, he'll explain later when we meet again. But now I'm reliving that project and I will do my best also to present what we did in the '80s in what I think now is the best way."

Rother adds that the box is slated for the Grönland label (which is also reissuing the Harmonia-Brian Eno collaboration Tracks & Traces next month; Harmonia was a team-up between Rother and the members of Cluster), and that they "hope to release it later this year, but it could well end up being next year. It would be best to have the box set ready before Christmas for all the fans. We'll see. It depends on how quickly I can find my way around the material."

Among other NEU!-related tidbits Rother outlined:

* "Sometime after the vinyl box set, if everything goes OK, we also plan to release a new CD version of NEU! 4/NEU! '86 and to make available all of NEU!'s recordings for download."

* "I was in the studio today editing one track and I've been transferring music from all the analog tapes to the computer. I also stumbled across some old NEU! music that I'd forgotten because Klaus and I split the tapes and he didn't have all the material in Düsseldorf when he released that version of NEU! 4. This is all quite interesting and another piece of work for the archivist."

We'll be posting the entire, massive (nearly 10,000 words) Neate-Rother interview at BLURT very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. (For more Rother-related news, go to his official site.)

But who needs ‘em now that we got Beatles Rock Band?

By Blurt Staff

Interesting little bit of Beatles trivia surfaced on the web this morning via the popular "Lefsetz Letter." Blogger and music industry watchdog Bob Lefsetz, in discussing this week's release of Beatles Rock Band, made the following observation:

"The Beatles never did reunite.  Their flame burned for less than a decade.  They realized they'd done it, there was nowhere left to go, and the band splintered, its members going in different directions.  You'd like to believe, unlike the Police, unlike every classic act with more members alive than dead, they wouldn't have reunited, solely for the bucks.  We'll never know."

Responding to Lefsetz' comments, superstar manager Bill Silva shared a personal anecdote outlining the time he approached Paul, George and Ringo about getting back together for a one-off concert - with a $100 mil guaranteed payoff!

Wrote Silva:

"When we were partners with Universal we offered them a guarantee of $100,000,000.00 for one show at Dodger Stadium on January 1, 2000. We estimated with worldwide tav, pay-per-view, licensing, sponsorships that the "one show only" would be like a Super Bowl for music, and would have potentially generated over $500,000,000 to them. For one show. We got radio silence from their various reps--all who acknowledged it was a legitimate offer. Finally, months after we'd sent the first proposal, Neil Aspinall agreed to meet with me. He spoke of the various Beatles projects and timelines for the next decade, and saw me out saying, ‘So you see, we can never afford to tarnish the legacy and the memory of the Beatles with a live performance that may not match what fans hope it to be.' I'd say they didn't  put the money first from my one little glimpse..."

Amen.

Iggy reunites with his Raw Power-era guitarist James Williamson for next incarnation of the Stooges.

By Fred Mills

Reports have been streaming in today (such as this one at RollingStone.com and this one at Pitchfork) about the imminent reunion of Iggy Pop and James Williamson for the post-Ron Asheton incarnation of the Stooges. Some time after Asheton's untimely death this year (read our tribute to Asheton, "Making the Marshall Stack Swear," here), Iggy apparently rang up his old Raw Power-era guitarist and asked him if he wanted to perform again.

Williamson told RS, "I was about to take an early retirement from my job in Silicon Valley, so I figured ‘What the hell, let's do it.' " He subsequently has been rehearsing in Los Angeles with Stooges bassist Mike Watt, drummer Scott Asheton and saxman Steve Mackay. This will mark the first time Williamson has played since the breakup of the Stooges in 1974.

Of the rehearsals, Williamson noted, "I wrote a lot of those songs and it's my style of guitar playing," he says. "It kind of naturally came back to me. We're rehearsing songs from Raw Power, The Stooges, Fun House and Kill City."

While the RS article indicated that the first reconstituted Stooges gig will be at All Tomorrow's Parties in London on May 2 and 3 of next year, Pitchfork clarified that, saying that the band will actually be part of ATP's Don't Look Back series (bands recreating classic albums in concert).

[Photo Credit: Robert Matheu]

Helping to kick off the reissues due tomorrow, one track at a time.

By Fred Mills

A coupla months ago we brought you word of the first two, classic, Feelies albums, 1980's Crazy Rhythms and 1986's The Good Earth, getting the expanded remaster treatment by the Bar/None label.

They're due in stores tomorrow, Sept. 8, on both CD and vinyl - although, caveat emptor, the slew of bonus tracks attached to each album will NOT be part of the physical package. Instead, the label circulated this somewhat cryptic note on the project (so you can make what you will, a case of "artistic integrity" weighing in or, um, simply a cost-saving strategy):

"As the band considers each album to be a discrete aesthetic artifact, the copious bonus material including demos, b-sides, EP tracks and some new live recordings from the re-united group will be included on digital download cards."

Uh-huh. At any rate, we'll have a full review in the upcoming issue of BLURT, due on newsstands at the end of the month. "A wonderfully tightly-wound, tense sound," say we of the first album; "mellower and beautifully breezy but still plenty tuneful," of the latter.

Nobody's Daughter leaks yet again - but what form does it take now?

By Blurt Staff

So we get tips... links... MP3s... all kinds of swag. The latest is that Courtney Love's previously leaked, long delayed, reportedly troubled new album Nobody's Daughter has been posted to the web abain, this time at the Music Of Your Life blog.

Recall that Courtney herself had indicated she would be posting the entire thing on line via her MySpace page on Jan. 1 but then the news arrived that it had been pushed back "due to technical difficulties."

That hasn't stopped fans from circulating the tunes, apparently, and last week the aforementioned blog posted the entire thing for download here via a link to a Rapidshare file. (Better run a virus scan, yo.) Is it the real deal, the finished thing? Who knows! Congrats to superfan Asmara Yudha Wijayadi anyway. The RIAA is lookin' for ya...

Album sleeve art is on the site, along with this tracklisting:

01 In Chains
02 Hole To Feed
03 Wrong
04 Fragile Tension
05 Little Soul
06 In Sympathy
07 Peace
08 Come Back
09 Spacewalker
10 Perfect
11 Miles Away / The Truth Is
12 Jezebel
13 Corrupt

Why is this man laughing?

By Fred Mills

On this day, September 8, in 1974, President Gerald Ford granted an unconditional pardon to Richard Nixon - this despite the fact that the former President, though disgraced in the aftermath of his resignation stemming from the Watergate scandal, had never been formally charged or convicted of any crimes.

It was an unprecedented moment in U.S. history; in effect, no matter what subsequent revelations regarding the Watergate break-in and the ensuing coverup might be revealed, Nixon couldn't be charged. It was also a shameful moment in our history too. Because while Watergate, the Nixon pardon, etc. certainly ushered in an era where the American citizenry would keep a more watchful eye upon our lawmakers and elected officials, by some estimations the series of incidents also help give credence to the sort of groupthink that led to the rise of George W. Bush's imperial presidency.

As the saying goes - "never forget."

This has been a public service (with Hofner bass-shaped guitars).

(Why are these men laughing? Because they know that in a few years the Constitution will be a worthless piece of paper with which they can wipe their asses!)

Or, How Numerology Saved My Reputation as a Critic: "Too many superlatives, not enough truth."

By Bill Holmes

[Ed. note: Awhile back, official Blurt meta-critic Bill Holmes asked us why we assigned starred ratings (between 1 and 10; no fractions or half stars) to the CDs we review. While our kneejerk response ran along lines of, "Somebody eventually had to assign a one-star rating to John Mayer's last album...", in truth, we don't know! Everyone else does it, though, and Blurt is nothing if not all about following the crowd and never marching to a different drummer. At any rate, Holmes spent the past month pouring over our reviews (at last count, we'd published 1,449 since June of 2008), running percentages, creating spread sheets, parsing mixed metaphors and simplistic similes, and generally laughing himself silly, in order to come up with a coherent guide to our ratings. You, dear readers, can now know what we REALLY think when you spot a review on the site or in the magazine without every bothering to read the actual review! Take it away, Brother Holmes...]

10 - An essential classic that will transcend its era. Think BLONDE ON BLONDE or STICKY FINGERS. You'd get in a bar fight to defend your rating years later. (Would you really do that to defend that 10 you gave No Doubt?). You consider getting a tattoo of the album title on your bicep.

09 - Possibly the apex of an artist's career (assuming the artist is great - Kenny G's best album could be a 3) and a no-brainer purchase for fanatics of the genre. Lands on your Best of the Year list without hesitation.

08 - Among the best of the artist/genre; you'd definitely refer to this album when trying to convince someone to give the artist a shot.

07 - Not perfect, but the good outweighs the bad. You wish it were better but there are enough enjoyable elements to spend your money and feel rewarded.

06 - Enjoyable for fans of the genre, but average for others. Not going to convert the skeptical but a fan will be glad you made them aware of it.

05 - Average, some good but not most. You keep it but probably only play it when you come across it in the stack. You won't look for it on purpose that often.

04 - Momentary pleasures, won't last - not bad but not memorable. Gathers dust.

03 - Bland, dull, nondescript. You'd sell it if you could only find a sucker.

02 - Real problems, poor effort, lazy release. You are pissed that you spent the money and/or wasted your time and you make a point to tell everyone it sucks.

01 - Horrible. Embarrassing. Vapid. Hire a lawyer and sue the artist for damages.

[I hate assigning numerical value to art, but rules are rules; after having to do so for several publications I think this is a good overall barometer even though I still screw it up on occasion. - BH]

Issue covers EP - Santana, Beatles, Doors, more -  and also do acoustic tour with Alejandro Escovedo this fall.

By Blurt Staff

Los Lonely Boys (Henry, Ringo, and Jojo Garza) announce the upcoming release of 1969 (Lonely Tone/Playing in Traffic), an EP of covers, including Santana's "Evil Ways," The Beatles' "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie," and The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues." It's due on October 13.

Legendary engineer Andy Johns provides his signature sound to 1969. In addition to recording Blind Faith's "Well All Right" - also a featured track on the EP - Johns is well known for his work on Led Zeppelin II, III, IV and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St.

"Peace, love and gracias to Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Tony Joe White, The Doors - some of the many musicians and songwriters that made 1969 a pathway for us to follow," offers Henry Garza on the upcoming project.

1969 also marks the first one via their new label home, the Austin-based Playing In Traffic Records and their own imprint Lonely Tone Records.

 This fall they're also setting out on their first-ever, acoustic tour fitly named "The Acoustic Brotherhood Tour" with supporters Alejandro Escovedo and Hacienda.

"This tour allows us to play the way we play in our backyards and really show the tradition of our Texican roots," Ringo says about the Brotherhood tour.

September/October Dates

September 2 -10 Iraq, Kuwait Tour for the Troops

September 11 Grand Junction, CO Rock Jam

September 12 Durango, CO Ft. Lewis College

September 15 Arcata, CA Van Duzer Theater

September 15 Redding, CA Cascade Theater

September 17 Lemoore, CA Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino

September 18 Murphys, CA Ironstone, Theater

September 19 Brooks, CA Cache Creek Casino

Sepetember 26  Lewisville, TX Western Day

October 3  Gretna, CA Gretna Festival 

"The Acoustic Brotherhood Tour" dates

October 5-6                    Alexandria VA               Birchmere

October 7                        Philadelphia, PA           Keswick Theater

October 9                        Long Branch, NJ            Pollack Theater

October 10                      Wayne, NJ                      Performing Arts Center

October 11                      New York, NY                Highline Ballroom

October 14                      Manchester, NH            Palace Theater

October 15                      Caribou, ME                   Performing Arts Center

October 16                      Portland, ME                 Merrill Auditorium

October 17                      New Bedford, MA         Zeiterion Theater

October 19                      Princeton, NJ                 McCarter Theater

October 20                      Easton, MD                    Avalon Theater

October 22                      Bloomington, IN           Buskirk Chumley

October 23                      Chicago, IL                      Old Town School

October 24                      Milwaukee, WI              Northern Lights Theater

October 25                      Mankato, MN                 Alltel Center

Also touring this fall with An Albatross.

By Blurt Staff

Athens Georgia's multifarious psychedelic roadwarriors DARK MEAT have geared up for another get-go of pillage-and-freakout in the name of their newest offering, TRUCE OPIUM, due Oct. 20 from Emergency Umbrella. A long period of lineup changes, label complications and heavy touring across North America and Europe has focused the band into a diamond-hard and transformative experience: they've trimmed their lineup to a highly-effective and barely-anemic 9-piece, and, in the process, have organically developed an intense and diverse instrumental chemistry. Truly, TRUCE OPIUM retains all the insane eccentricity, rawness and sonic bombast of their infamous live show, and evinces a sharpened essence and unified vision burnished by the last three years spent spraying themselves across the cosmos in their cramped tour-van.

Check out an MP3 sampling: "The Faint Smell of Moss"

In terms of heightened vision and sonic-execution, TRUCE OPIUM is a huge step forward for the band -- as it augments their celebrated Albert Ayler, Stooges and Neil Young obsessions with more a abstract, cosmic tack: pronounced Eastern influences abide via the use of acoustic drone instruments like tanpura, bulbul tarang and sitar, prayer-like group chants and the study and reverent application of polyharmonic Sygyt and Kargira Tuvan throat-singing. Last year, bandmembers workshopped, rehearsed and performed at The University of Georgia with a carnatic classical troupe from South India. This amazing and humbling opportunity, along with their involvement in several local improv, free-jazz and noise ensembles have broadened the band's sonic and structural scope.

Deep Krautrock and Japanoise bearings also surface; their perpetual tour-van immersion in the sounds of NEU!, Amon Duul II, Les Rallizes Denudes, LSD and Boredoms push their willfully improvisational passages into weirder, wilder territory. And the vaunted Free Jazz and New Orleans Marching Band influences persist through The Vomit Lasers, Dark Meat's longstanding horn-section. However, where the band once enthusiastically essayed pieces by The Ayler Brothers, Pharaoh Sanders and Sonny Sharrock, the ensemble has now organically assimilated the music's feral energies and rarified colors into its aesthetics of arrangement, dynamic and performance. Make no mistake, though, TRUCE OPIUM, at its twisted heart, is a redblooded psych-rock record, as a lived-in and durable love of Velvet Underground, Yardbirds, MC5, Fairport Convention and Crazy Horse continually and joyously warps main songwriter Jim McHugh's approach to composition and execution. And the passage of material into the raw hands of his seasoned collaborators dually insures that the resultant High Magic will be spirited, raw and unlike anything else you've every heard.

* Dark Meat share members with Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, Elf Power, Gnarls Barkley, Instruments, Lil Wayne's Touring Band (for real!) and Nymph.

Tour Dates:

Th    Oct    22    Charlottesville    VA    Tea Bazaar    
Sa    Oct    24    Brooklyn    NY    Union Pool w/ An Albatross
Sa    Oct    24    Brooklyn    NY    Glasslands    
Su    Oct    25    New York City    NY    Cake Shop w/ An Albatross
Mo    Oct    26    Philadelphia    PA    Danger Danger w/ An Albatross    
Tu    Oct    27    Washington    DC    Black Cat Backstage w/ An Albatross
We    Oct    28    Baltimore    MD    Talking Head    w/ An Albatross
Th    Oct    29    Charlotte    NC    Snug Harbor w/ An Albatross
Fr    Oct    30    Athens    GA    40 Watt    w/ An Albatross
Sa    Oct    31    Atlanta    GA    Star Bar    w/ An Albatross
Sun    Nov    1    Ybor City    FL    Crobar    
Mo    Nov    2    Orlando FL    Will's Pub    w/ An Albatross
Fr    Nov    6    Houston    TX    Free Press Block Party w/ An Albatross
Sa    Nov    7    Monterey    MX    Monterey Festival    
Su    Nov    8    Austin    TX    Fun Fun Fun Fest

Acclaimed trumpeter killed in wreck late Monday.

By Blurt Staff

Sad news for music fans today - reports have come in that Fred Mills was killed Monday evening in a traffic accident between Athens and Atlanta. He was 74 (although some accounts list his age as 70).

The trumpeter for the Canadian Brass (Grammy nominated in 1992) had been teaching at the University of Georgia since 1996 and coached the graduate brass quintet The Bulldog Brass Society.

A posting at the Canadian Brass website read "He inspired thousands upon thousands of young musicians around the world to explore their own musical talents, tastes, interests and love of performance. Freddy's influence in the musical world is incalculable - his love of life, whacky sense of humour, deep knowledge of music, amazing memory for events, wide range of friends, will be truly missed by everyone with whom he came in contact. He was a Canadian national treasure."

Esteemed Black Dog publishing house digs deep into the German archives.

By Fred Mills

First there was Julian Cope's delightfully eccentric and impassioned Krautrocksampler. Then came the Freeman Brothers' The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, rightly (if wordily) billed as a near-definitive "Encyclopedia of Krautrock, Kosmiche Musik & Other Progressive, Experimental & Electronic Musics from Germany." Close it its heels was Dag Erik Asbjornsen's Cosmic Dreams At Play, subtitled "A guide to German progressive and electronic rock" (somewhat less scholarly than the Freemans' tome, but in many ways more descriptive).

To date, fans and collectors of Krautrock - that indigenous and influential, if sprawling and genre-spanning, strain of Germanic music that included legends like Faust, Kraftwerk, Neu!, Tangerine Dream and Amon Duul alongside hundreds of lesser knowns (though no less worthy) - have been relatively well-served in terms of documentation for their passion. Yours truly counts himself among those fans. But as we all know, the more the merrier; an addition to the bookshelf is always welcome. Plus, the books listed above are out of print (the Freemans' was subsequently published on CD-ROM, however), so newcomers might not be able to access the material quite so readily.

So mark your calendars, all you kosmiche travelers, for Nov. 3: that's when Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and Its Legacy, edited by Nikos Kotsopoulos, arrives courtesy Black Dog Publishing (Oct. 20 in the UK).

According to the official product description:

"Krautrock charts the history of this influential music genre, from its roots in free jazz, psychedelia and the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, to the groundbreaking experiments of Faust, Kraftwerk and Can.

"The late 1960s in West Germany was a period of profound breakthroughs, upheavals and reversals. Communes were spreading, protests organised throughout the entire country, the desire to begin everything anew permeating the young. Out of this climate, a music scene exploded that would forever change the face of Western rock; at times anarchic, at others mystical, and utopian, it pushed rock beyond any known limits.

"From the relentless drum beating of Amon Duul I, to the eastern tinged mysticism of Popol Vuh and the sonic assaults of Conrad Schnitzler, Krautrock: Cosmic Rock and Its Legacy traces the history of this complex and eschewing definition phenomenon.

"Illustrated with concert photos, posters, record cover art and other rare and previously unseen visual material, this book is the ultimate tour-de-force of a movement whose influence and impact is still being felt today. With essays by Michel Faber, David Keenan, Erik Davis, Ken Hollings, a foreword by Steven Stapleton of Nurse with Wound, and testimonials from Gavin Russom (Delia and Gavin), and Ann Shenton (Add N to (x)) this is an essential compendium to a music whose spirit and ideas still vibrate through contemporary music today."

Well, all right then! Find out more about the book, including ordering details, at the Black Dog site.

Black Dog, of course, has previously published numerous highly-regarded music books, among them histories of the Immediate and Ace record labels and an homage to independent record stores titled Old Rare New (which we discussed in-depth elsewhere on this very site). Expect quality stuff.

(Did we mention we have a 10,000 word interview with Neu!/Harmonia guitarist Michael Rother slated to run on the Blurt site soon? Teaser HERE.)

Rare performance set for the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 25: "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood"

By Blurt Staff

Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone will conduct the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in an evening of music drawn from his most famous film scores -- including The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; The Untouchables; Cinema Paradiso; Once upon a Time in America; The Mission; Once upon a Time in the West; A Fistful of Dollars; Sacco and Vanzetti;  The Battle of Algiers; A Fistful of Dynamite; and U Turn --  at Hollywood Bowl on October 25. The evening, which also includes participation by the Angeles Chorale, is billed as "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and will be Morricone's only U.S. concert appearance of the year.  

Tickets for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" go on sale at Tickebastard on Sunday, September 20 at 10am. Ticket prices range from $15 to $295 plus applicable surcharges.

Do we even need to tell you about Il Maestro? Refresh yourself at his Wikipedia page if you must...

The legendary Catholic Boy was among the Manhattan hipster and punk elite.

By Fred Mills

Punk poet Jim Carroll has joined the list of people who died. The 60-year old New York City resident died Friday of a heart attack. Though he'd kept a low profile in recent years - his most recent book of verse was 1998's Void of Course: Poems 1994-1997 - he lived a full and vital life that dipped into multiple milieus, from the Beats and the punks to writing lyrics for classic rock acts and recording spoken word albums.

He came to international prominence, of course, with 1978's autobiographical The Basketball Diaries (subsequently adapted for the screen featuring a young Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Carroll), although prior to that he'd already found favor among Manhattan's hipster elite, among them Andy Warhol, Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Smith, interviewed by the New York Times yesterday, said, "I met him in 1970, and already he was pretty much universally recognized as the best poet of his generation. The work was sophisticated and elegant. He had beauty."

Later, Carroll formed the Jim Carroll Band and had a hit with 1980's Catholic Boy, which contained the radio anthem "People Who Died." The group recorded two more albums, Dry Dreams and I Write Your Name before disbanding in the mid eighties. Carroll also recorded the solo album Pools of Mercury in 1998.

For an extensive online Carroll resource, check out CatholicBoy.com.

BLURT's Rev. Keith Gordon has a remembrance of the man, along with video clips, HERE.

Journalists still file their Beatles stories despite the two disc overview of the remasters mysteriously retaining its original shrinkwrap...

By Fred Mills

Apple's iPod may have killed the CD star, but that breed of human known as the record collector will never be extinct. Ample proof surfaced anew starting a couple of weeks ago: that's when the other Apple, in conjunction with EMI, sent out a two-CD, gatefold sleeve promotional teaser for the Beatles stereo remasters, which officially arrived in stores today, 9-9-09 (duh).

Smartly titled The Beatles 09.09.09 Sampler, it contains 32 songs culled from the entire Beatles back catalog and was circulated primarily (though not exclusively) to journalists working on stories about the remasters. There's nothing on there not included on the Beatles albums proper - but that doesn't mean it's not highly collectible. For starters, anything Beatles related has intrinsic value among fans and collectors (allow me to tell you about my promotional poster for the Beatles 1 album I have hanging on my wall, the one displaying all the rare foreign Fab Four 45 and EP picture sleeves, and how much one collector offered me for it; I declined).

Plus, since those 32 songs do not appear in this particular configuration anywhere else (it's not a clone of Past Masters), as a promotional-only item it automatically becomes an object of desire. The entire package, including discs, is pictured below:

eBay apparently agrees, for within days of 09.09.09 Sampler arriving in mailboxes, listings for the set started popping up at the auction site (and no doubt others, such as GEMM). Checking eBay this morning, there were 15 listings with the keywords "beatles 09.09.09 sampler," and no doubt there are more up there using variations of that title.

The current price range, by bid for active auctions, is a broad one, as low as $22.47 and as high as $88.00; there's also one copy displaying a "But It Now" price for $149.00. And while that may seem ridiculously high to those of you still saying to yourselves, "Yeah, but there's no new music on the damn thing!", well... it appears the marketplace has spoken.

If you check "Completed Listings" for the sampler, that becomes immediately obvious: while a couple of copies went for around 50 and 60 bucks w/Buy It Now, it's been regularly changing hands for $99-$165 in auctions. (One seller apparently had five copies and each went for $125. Nice work if you can get it.) An auction that ended this morning generated 16 bids before closing at $147.59; for another one, from last night, a furious 22-bid round ensued, with the winning bidder ponying up for $123.45. One currently active listing set to end in about 5 hours has 6 bids with a top bid of $88 and it's sure to skyrocket shortly.

Er, that rumbling sound you hear in the distance? It's the sound of journalists, having read this news item, now stampeding to their computers, Beatles promo in hand, and logging on to eBay.

What we're wanting to know, however, is this: if every hack out there is flogging the CD at auction sites, how the hell are they writing their stories? From memory, one supposes...

Incidentally, here's the sampler's track listing if anyone is interested. Happy flogging ‘n' shopping!

Disc One 

1. I Saw Her Standing There (from Please Please Me)

2. I Wanna Be Your Man (from With The Beatles)

3. Thís Boy (from Past Masters Disc One)

4. Things We Said Today (from A Hard Day's Night)

5. Eight Days A Week (from Beatles For Sale)

6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (from Help!)

7. If I Needed Someone (from Rubber Soul)

8. Rain (from Past Masters Disc Two)

9. Here, There And Everywhere (from Revolver)

10. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 11. The Fool On The Hill (from Magical Mystery Tour)

12. Glass Onion (from The Beatles Disc One)

13. Mother Nature's Son (from The Beatles Disc Two)

14. Hey Bulldog (from Yellow Submarine)

15. Something (from Abbey Road)

16. Two Of Us (from Let It Be)

Disc two

1. Please Please Me (from Please Please Me)

2. All My Loving (from With The Beatles)

3. If I Feel (A Hard Day's Night)

4. Honey Don't (from Beatles For Sale)

5. I'm Down (from Past Masters Disc One)

6. I Need You (from Help!)

7. Day Tripper (from Past Masters Disc Two)

8. Drive My Car (from Rubber Soul)

9. And Your Bird Can Sing (from Revolver)

10. She's Leaving Home (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

11. I Am The Walrus (from Magical Mystery Tour)

12. Back In The U.S.S.R (from The Beatles Disc One)

13. Long, Long, Long (from The Beatles Disc Two)

14. All Together Now (from Yellow Submarine)

15. Come Together (from Abbey Road)

16. I've Got A Feeling (from Let It Be)

Finally that intense gaze and tattooed torso is paying off!

By Blurt Staff

As Pitchfork puts it - "the role the man was born to play." They're talking about erstwhile Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, who apparently has joined the cast of FX's Sons of Anarchy series. His involvement was previously reported, but last night was the first time fans got a glimpse.

The Season Two premiere featured Rollins as a "rich white supremacist villain," tattoos and all. He's slated to appear in 8 episodes. He recently talked to M&C about his involvement.

Pitchfork was also kind enough to post the Season Two Trailer, which contains a shot of Rollins. Meanwhile, we're calling our cable company to have ‘em sign us up for FX!

John Lydon reforms Public Image Limited minus, uh, the band. Vintage vid clips below.

By Fred Mills

Let's be honest: Public Image Limited was a pretty great band, from the signature Pistolian clang of the "Public Image" single and the groundbreaking Metal Box album to that memorable lip-synching appearance on "American Bandstand" (see clip, below) and the group's latterday intersection with Bill Laswell. Founder John Lydon put the group on the shelf in 1992, however, in order to become a professional celebrity (those ads for Country Life butter were awesome; see clip below).

Media reports this week inform us that Lydon is reassembling PiL for a 5-date string of concerts in England in December. Apparently for Lydon the parrot, er, band, wasn't dead, merely sleeping: "We'll see where we can go," Lydon told London's Guardian. "Some things may be quite similar, some may not."

A few things that will not include the musicians: there's no Keith Levene or Jah Wobble or Martin Atkins, who formed the core of the band when it was at its most creative an influential. Instead, Lu Edmonds will be on guitar, Bruce Smith on bass, and Scott Firth will fill in on keyboards, additional guitars and whatnot.

It's too early, of course, to determine if audiences will feel they've been cheated. Bets are, however, that Lydon will walk away with a sweet payday.

PiL on American Bandstand 1980:

Lydon shilling for Country Life:

Looks like it's gonna be mad stampede to all the torrent sites. Meanwhile, prices for the boxes skyrocket on eBay.

By Fred Mills

Amid all the media hoopla over the Beatles remastered reissues and the corresponding stereo and mono box sets (the latter a strictly limited edition), someone apparently forgot to tell retailers to stock up, because word is that the stock is, er, out. eBay sellers (see below) responded accordingly, of course.

While Billboard.biz, in their report on initial sales ("Strong Global Demand For Beatles Reissues"), somewhat euphemistically noted that "supplies of the box sets may be an issue" in various countries, the hard truth is that if you didn't preorder your box, particularly the mono set, you just may be out of luck, at least for an unspecified period of time.

Music blogger Bob Lefsetz already observed in last night's entry that there were "ongoing complaints that you couldn't even get Beatle product, that it was sold out everywhere." Indeed, the most reliable indicator of product availability (in the U.S. at least) is Amazon.com, and as of mid afternoon yesterday, neither box was available. The stereo box, which had its price down from the $259 suggested retail to a sweet spot of $179, is currently showing a shipping delay of 2 to 4 weeks, while the mono box, priced at $229, down from $298, says 3 to 6 weeks. (Hint to fans: go ahead and back order the boxes asap from Amazon to lock in those prices, and request the free shipping option as well.) There's a pretty fascinating forum at the Amazon.com devoted to discussing just the mono box, incidentally, including comments about availability and non-availability at Amazon and elsewhere. Beatlesnews.com is also publishing some lively commentary at their site.

Other online retailers are showing similar scenarios: Wal-Mart shows the stereo is out, and the mono isn't even listed; ditto Borders; Best Buy says the stereo is backordered, and the mono listing was removed yesterday afternoon; places like CD Universe are not even listing the boxes.

Barnes & Noble is actually showing both boxes as being available, albeit with no discounting unless you're a member: stereo box $259 (members $233), mono box $298 (members $269). Of course, if you've ever ordered online from B&N you know that you sometimes don't even find out that your purchase is on backorder until the final checkout procedure!

Do a search at Target.com and you'll get this message: We could not find exact matches for "The Beatles Stereo Box Set"; We could not find exact matches for "The Beatles Mono Box Set".

So what's an out-of-luck fan to do? Why, track down the booty via illicit download methods, natch! INeedFile.com, a RapidShare file search service, for example, is showing some options... Admittedly, not quite the same as holding he artifact, reading the liners, etc, but hey...

Or you could simply make a deposit in your PayPal account and hit eBay. A quick check of currently active listings for the mono box (most of them touting, in ALL CAPS, some variation of "SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE") shows 151 sales, with starting bids in the rather astonishing range of $230 to $750, the Buy It Now option generally ranging from $350 to $450. That's quite a markup for less than 24 hours. (The stereo box was obviously in less demand, as you can get a copy with Buy It Now for in the neighborhood of $250.)

Ain't capitalism grand? To those who think that American turned into a socialist society the day Obama got elected, we say feh! Business as usual in the good ol' U.S. of A.

Releases his debut in November; tour follows.

By Blurt Staff

Curtis Harvey, best known for his work with/as Rex and Pullman, will release his first solo album titled Box Of Stones November 3 on Fat Cat Records.

While Box Of Stones marks a departure from Harvey's previous work, his gift for melody and use of detailed instrumentation remains. An intensely personal collection, Box Of Stones allows Harvey to explore affinities for John Fahey, Dust Bowl protest songs, and traditional song structures, while retaining the interest in textural sonics that marked his previous projects.

Recorded in the small studio in Harvey's basement, Box Of Stones' immediacy owes much to his immersive process, with Harvey playing everything and often recording the vocals in only one take; for percussion, Harvey says, he used "whatever happened to be [around] at the time: bottles, pencils, pots and pans, an old snare and bass drum." For "Seen," Harvey recorded the audience at a live show at Brooklyn's Union Pool as they accompanied him on the chorus.

Though Harvey's recorded output has been minimal since Pullman's 2001 album Viewfinder - consisting of the sole release by the Curtis Harvey Trio, a cover of "Changes" for 2005 Black Sabbath cover compilation Everything Comes And Goes and a Pullman song for Thrill Jockey's 2007 anniversary compilation - Harvey explains that he's never stopped recording or writing music, despite the break from making records.

Harvey will be touring the east coast/midwest for two weeks in December, and plans a full US run for spring 2010.

You lookin' at me? Tramps like these, baby, they were born to run...

By Blurt Staff

This year's Kennedy Center Honors should prove interesting: Bruce Springsteen and Robert De Niro, along with Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck and opera's Grace Bumbry, are the 32^nd edition's honorees. They'll appear December 6 at the White House then be whisked over to the Kennedy Center to receive their kudos (CBS will air the ceremony Dec. 29). And yes, they'll be jostling for table space with President and Michelle Obama.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Kennedy Center:

"This year, the Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals whose unique and abundant artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world. With his hilarious movies and musicals, Mel Brooks has created comedic gems that will keep us laughing for years to come. Dave Brubeck's genius has dazzled us for six decades and has helped to define an American art form. Grace Bumbry helped to break the color barrier on her way to one of the most illustrious operatic careers in the 20th century. One of America's greatest cinematic actors, Robert De Niro has demonstrated a legendary commitment to his characters and has co-founded one of the world's major film festivals. With his gritty and honest songs that speak to the everyman, Bruce Springsteen has always had his finger on the pulse of America."

Behind that sweet smile lurks... the mind of someone who can't thumb their Blackberry!

By Blurt Staff

This just in from the "sometimes we write the news, sometimes the news just writes itself" dept.:

Activision is responding to queries regarding the usage of Kurt Cobain's likeness in Guitar Hero 5 with the following statement "Guitar Hero secured the necessary licensing rights from the Cobain estate in a written agreement signed by Courtney Love to use Kurt Cobain's likeness as a fully playable character in Guitar Hero® 5."

Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, the two surviving members of Nirvana, have no say whatsoever in the usage of Kurt Cobain's likeness. 

All this may be Greek to you unless you've kept up with Courtney Love's eternally fascinating, keyboard-challenged Twitter postings of late in which she claimed publicly that she had not approved the usage of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain's likeness in Guitar Hero 5. Furthermore, she's ben telling anyone who'll listen that she is planning on siccing her lawyers on Activision. Oh, and something about wanting Grohl to get ass-raped. Meanwhile, journalist Everett True waded into this minefield as well... who can keep up with all this stuff?!?

Anyhow, sounds like Activision may have the, er, upper hand, assuming they can produce the written agreement they say they have in court. Or merely to one of Love's lawyers, who then will presumably send Love on her way and bank their fee. Memo to self: folks who holler the loudest about launching lawsuits are the ones most likely not to have firm legal footing.

Kurt Cobain/Guitar Hero trailer below. We're not sure why anyone wants to get all hot and bothered about this. There's no issue of artistic integrity here, or about being true to a late artist's intentions, or any of that blather - IT'S A FUCKING VIDEO GAME, FOR CHRISSAKES, GET OVER IT!!!

New album of original material features plenty of star cameos, and more.

By Blurt Staff

Last year we ran a feature on Doveman (that's Thomas Bartlett to his ma and pa) and his groundbreaking 2008 reimagining" of the Footloose soundtrack. Kevin Bacon was mighty proud... Keyboardist Bartlett has also worked with the likes of The National, Antony, Bebel Gilberto, The Swell Season/The Frames and Martha Wainwright, and he's a pretty in-demand session cat.

Now comes word that he's returning to his Doveman persona for a new album, The Conformist, due Oct. 20 from the Brassland label. He'll be backed by members of The National along with longtime collaborators Nico Muhly and Sam Amidon.

The details, courtesy Brassland:

Doveman is the project through which Bartlett steps forward as a songwriter and front man, and on The Conformist, produced by Grammy Award winner Patrick Dillett (David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Mary J. Blige), Bartlett is heard singing in his unique voice throughout, in addition to playing multiple instruments. Though Bartlett is classically trained and technically proficient‹he dropped out of high school to study in London with Maria Curcio--the album¹s eleven tracks are mostly straightforward pop-rock songs; much of their richness lies in the atmospheric soundscape in which Bartlett situates his compositions. He performs the music with a core band that includes The National members Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner and Bryan Devendorf; Nico Muhly; longtime Doveman member Sam Amidon; and a string section. The Conformist also features a number of surprising guest vocal performances, with turns by Martha Wainwright, Matt Berninger (The National) and Norah Jones, among others.

The Conformist is Bartlett¹s first collection of original material since 2007's With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead. Fall-winter tour dates will be announced soon.

Track Listing

1. Breathing Out

2. The Best Thing

3. Memorize

4. Hurricane

5. Aftermath

6. From Silence

7. The Cat Awoke

8. Angel¹s Share

9. The Burgundy Stain

10. Tigers

11. Castles

999,999 privacy advocates (and Elvis fans) can't be wrong...

By Fred Mills

Millions of Internet users have recently been flooded by requests from strangers to sign up for the UNYK address book program; yours truly has been receiving them at the rate of 4 or 5 per week, and the frequency has been increasing. See below for a sample that arrived today.

Though the service is described as one that established "private address books" the UNYK privacy policy and security has been coming under scrutiny of late. It's time to strike back, luddites: return to a simpler time, when a pencil and a scrap of paper stuffed into the wallet made for a perfectly acceptable address book and phone number listing!

***

Hi,

On 8/28/2009 5:10:07 AM, you were invited to join John or Jane Doe's UNYK address book so he/she would always have access to your contact info and you to his/hers.

To accept his/her request, Click here [link removed - ed.]


UNYK is a smart and simple way to manage your contacts so you never lose anyone's contact information again.

No more worrying about your contacts' info. From now on, let them do it for you. By changing their information in UNYK.com, you address book will be automatically updated. By changing your information in UNYK.com, their address book will be automatically updated.

It's so simple and it's free... Already 10 million users.

Love rants on Twitter until she finally passes out. Meanwhile, two former Nirvana members express disappointment in Guitar Hero 5.

By Fred Mills

In the aftermath of yesterday's verbal tussle between Nirvana's Dave Grohl & Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love - video game maker Activision had to step in after Love wigged out over Guitar Hero 5 and make a statement indicating that Love had formally granted the use of Cobain's likeness for the game, and Grohl & Novoselic confirmed that they "have no say whatsoever" in the usage of his likeness - La Love took to the Twitter airwaves in earnest, firing blustering, 140-character volley after volley that numbered into the hundreds until she finally settled down (presumably to catch some shut-eye after tweeting for nearly 24 hours straight) around midnight EST.

Among Love's bon tweets semi-relevant to the Activision thing (you have to wade through a ton of crap to ferret this stuff out, as there are multiple tweets about mortgage fraud, the Madoff case, conspiracy theories regarding people trying to get her money, and more):

now any smart musician knows you never EVER sell publishing whatsoever, but weitman who oozes so much charm for such a tiny fella

convinced me to do so, Activision has made thier press release, we shall make ours and we shall seek acyive damages against these fuckers

in fact i have atumbl account since your all tooo lazy to go to usserach or people finders if i have the energy i will twitpic this and take

it to tumblr, cos the bottom line @betsybreakdown is that the two fuckers kurt dumoed are raping him and the lawyers are raping him

and they dont give a fuck about frances or wendy or kim infact kims house was repossessed out of spite in 05 where the fuck was your outrage

And, uh, this one, that we can't quite figure out:

dont allow the roadrunner records site to interpret our tweets as itsthe most sexist dump on the net, im the daily#cunt everyd

Anyhow, Grohl and Novoselic finally issued their own official statement yesterday (not via Twitter, incidentally, and not in subliterate 140-character meth bursts). Wisely, they did not address Love's rantings; rather, they expressed their disappointment and frustration over the way the Guitar Hero 5 game portrayed their late bandmate (the Cobain character can be unlocked so he plays songs not his, such as Bon Jovi's. While the notion of the duo finding potential common ground with Courtney Love is faintly ludicrous (she did, after all, suggest Grohl should be ass raped), at least they come out and make their statements and then move on. It's not like they can do anything about the GH5 situation anyway.

That statement:

This is a statement regarding Nirvana, Guitar Hero and the likeness of the late Kurt Cobain.

We want people to know that we are dismayed and very disappointed in the way a facsimile of Kurt is used in the Guitar Hero game.  The name and likeness of Kurt Cobain are the sole property of his estate - we have no control whatsoever in that area.

While we were aware of Kurt's image being used with two Nirvana songs, we didn't know players have the ability to unlock the character. This feature allows the character to be used with any kind of song the player wants.   We urge Activision to do the right thing in "re-locking" Kurt's character so that this won't continue in the future.

It's hard to watch an image of Kurt pantomiming other artists' music alongside cartoon characters.  Kurt Cobain wrote songs that hold a lot of meaning to people all over the world.  We feel he deserves better.

Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl

Establishes Pax Am label w/first in a series of digital singles. Shipping today, in fact. Make it real!

By Blurt Staff

Ryan Adams announced the release date of the flagship digital single from his own newly reanimated Pax Am label today: "Lost And Found"/"Go Ahead And Rain" is available for pre-order now at http://store.ryanada.ms and is the first in a series of $1.49 digital singles, the revenues from which will support the http://ryanada.ms site and keep FOGGY TV broadcasting.

Adams issued the following statement regarding the debut of the Pax Am label:

Thanks for making Pax Am the number one Ryan Adams merch site online. We would hunt anyone else down though.

 Did you have a rad summer? Good. If you said no, never worry, Pax Am is here. We are gonna fill your fall and winter up with vinyl, digital singles, and t shirts you don't need.
 

 Stay tuned for videos, free tracks, and our digi-singles.  Subscribers get first dibs on rare vinyl.

 
 Remember, purchasing the buck 49 singles is a way to keep FOGGY TV on the air, but it is not necessary to view the weekly content.

 
 This is my label and my internet disco dream.

 
 Make it real you jerks.

 
 Worship me.

So Tough and Sound of Water already available; Fox Base Beta due soon.

By Blurt Staff

About a week and a half ago Saint Etienne fans began receiving their expanded/remastered "Deluxe Editions" of the band's So Tough and Sound of Water (see full details, below) - they came on the heels of the two-disc versions, issued a few months ago, of Fox Base Alpha and Continental, all part of a year-long overhaul of the group's back catalog.

Then this morning, SE acolytes opened their email to receive even more good news: a limited/numbered and remixed version of FBA, titled Fox Base Beta, is en route, with pre-orders available through the fan club starting September 21. Here's the complete communiqué from the band:

Journey through the past, part 5.

Rumours have been flying left right and centre, but we can finally confirm that disco dynamo Richard X has taken Foxbase Alpha and re-arranged it into a brand new beast called FOXBASE BETA. Using the original masters, adding cellos, electrix, choirs, and the spirit of Brian Cant he has created something really special - spruced-up yet reverential, it is essentially a 2009 up-date of Foxbase Alpha, given a shot of vodka and a loving caress. We're chuffed. It feels unnervingly like jumping into a Tardis.

FOXBASE BETA will be issued, via the fan club, as a limited, numbered 2CD set of 3,000 copies, which will also include FOXBASE EXTRA, three unreleased recordings from the original album sessions: a just discovered coda to Girl VII (we'd forgotten it existed), a summery instrumental called Richard III, and the first, very different, take of Kiss And Make Up, which was the very first Saint Etienne recording. We cut it one afternoon in January 1990, and then Only Love Can Break Your Heart in the evening! It was all so simple then. These tracks won't be available anywhere else.

There will also be a 'directors' commentary' on the bonus disc. Informative, yes. Pithy, quite possibly.

An un-numbered, single disc edition will be available at gigs and through Rough Trade. It will also be available for digital download (with the commentary but without the bonus tracks).

For club promo, a 4-track 12" is currently at the pressing plant, including extended Foxbase Beta version of Only Love Can Break Your Heart (plus instrumental mix), the FBB version of Girl VII (grrrreat), and Gothenburg's Balearic princes Air France's mix of Spring. We'll have 200 copies of this available through the fan club. As soon as we have them we'll let you know.

Foxbase Beta will be available to pre-order on Monday 21st of September. More details next week.

England in the World Cup finals, 3 Of A Kind's Babycakes playing on my hi-fi, Foxbase Beta finally put to bed. Late summer, early autumn, and all is good.

love

Bob xx

Meanwhile, about the two albums mentioned above...

So Tough, SE's 2^nd album, originally arrived in 1993. For the Deluxe Edition, the album has been completely remastered and expanded to a second disc of 17 bonus tracks of rarities, b-sides and unreleased tracks, including aover version of Teenage Fanclub's Everything Flows. packaging includes a 24 page booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1 - Side 1

1. Mario's Cafe
2. Railway Jam
3. Date With Spelman
4. Calico
5. Avenue
6. You're In A Bad Way
7. Memo To Pricey
8. Hobart Paving
9. Leafhound
10. Clock Milk
11. Conchita Martinez
12. No Rainbows For Me
13. Here Comes Clown Feet
14. Junk The Morgue
15. Chicken Soup

Disc 2 - Side 1

1. Everything Flows
2. Railway Jam Vocal Version
3. Who Do You Think You Are
4. Some Place Else
5. Duke Duvet
6. Paper
7. Johnny In The Echo Cafe
8. Archway People
9. California Snow Story
10. Join Our Club
11. Everlasting
12. Snowplough Instrumental
13. Rainy Day Women
14. Peterloo Instrumental
15. I'm Too Sexy
16. Stranger In Paradise
17. Hobart Paving Van Dyke Parks Version

Then 2000's Sound of Water, their fifth, featured production by High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan and To Rocco Rot. The remastered edition adds a second disc of 17 bonus tracks of rarities, b-sides and unreleased tracks plus a 24 page booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1 - Side 1

1. Late Morning
2. Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi)
3. Sycamore
4. Don't Back Down
5. Just A Little Overcome
6. Boy Is Crying
7. Aspects Of Lambert
8. Downey CA.
9. How We Used To Live
10. The Place At Dawn

Disc 2 - Side 1

1. Roseneck
2. Northwestern
3. Red Setter
4. Blofeld Buildings
5. Bar Conscience
6. Shoot Out The Lights
7. Thank You
8. Chaos At The Gym
9. Tony Jacket
10. Garage For Gunther
11. Ivyhouse
12. 52 Pilot
13. We're In The City
14. Artieripp
15. Sadie's Anniversary
16. Half Timbered
17. Empty Shop

Our second  pick in a new series: Brazilian band's latest album is what's twirling our tassels as we head into the weekend...

By Fred Mills

Brazil's Os Mutantes recently signed to Anti- Records, and the first fruits of the partnership arrived this week. The new album is pretty amazing - you can read the review HERE.

As BLURT's worldbeat expert Mark Jenkins puts it, "Haih or Amortecedor reclaims the anything-goes form known as ‘Tropicalia': Indian raga yields to pop-folk crooning, boss nova mates with acid-rock and tunes that echo 1930s big-band styles sound both authentic and fresh."

Os Mutantes is BLURT's second official Band O' The Week. (Last week was The Clean.) Check back each Friday for that week's selection.

Check out the band's MySpace page for song samples.

Third studio album (and fourth release overall) set to drop Nov. 10.

By Blurt Staff

Githead - Colin Newman (of Wire), Malka Spigel and Max Franken (of Minimal Compact), Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) - will be releasing their new album Landing on Nov. 10. Their third full length, it's to appear courtesy their own Swim label. Watch BLURT in the very near future for an in-depth interview with Newman about the project.

The band started in 2004, initially to play as a one-off at the Swim record label's 10th anniversary event at the ICA. It soon became obvious that there was a natural and rare chemistry that could enable real organic development over time. A solid base was fashioned with the band's 2004 debut, the ‘self titling' EP Headgit. Written, recorded and mixed in fervent, whirlwind fashion, all in Swim's London studio, the band used Headgit as a platform on which to build. Its signature hypnotic motorik combined with a fresh, almost raw approach resulted in a set of exciting tracks, some of which remain stage favorites.

The following year, Githead's debut album Profile brought a bigger, lusher sound, with richer songwriting, and several songs that were taken on the road during the band's first European tour. As Githead developed as a live entity, the importance of recording live with the whole band became paramount. 2006 saw Githead move to augment Swim's small studio with Rotterdam's Metropolis 22 studio for recording endeavors. Employing classic ‘old skool' recording techniques and songwriting craft, Art Pop was born, and subsequently well received on its 2007 release. More European live dates followed and the band made its North American debut in Canada in June 2009.

The combination of Githead's growing power as a live band, and the development of work in Swim's studio and during trips to Rotterdam, has led to Landing. On the record, all the familiar components of Githead's distinctive idiom remain in place -- Newman and Rimbaud's minimalist guitar patterns, their supremely catchy melodic sense, Spigel's propulsive bass rumble, Franken's solid, steady drive -- but Landing broadens the band's vocabulary considerably. Adding depth, texture and shading, Landing's ten tracks are somehow simultaneously harder, edgier, more expansive, more organic, more hypnotic.

Crucially, though, while Githead might now be speaking a more sophisticated, nuanced language, they never once lose touch with their essential pop sensibility. It's this unique balance of convention and subtle experimentation that's always distinguished Githead from so many others attempting to plow the same adventurous avant-pop furrow.

Track Listing:

1. Faster

2. Take Off

3. Before Tomorrow

4. Landing

5. Ride

6. Over The Limit

7. Lightswimmer

8. From My Perspective

9. Displacement & Time

10. Transmission Tower

Everybody needs to collect something.

By Fred Mill

Sometimes a picture is worth more than a zillion words...

In which we pay tribute to our favorite all-time magazine, Girl Watcher. All the way from 1959, in fact, a different time, a different universe in fact; pre-Mad Men, even. Glom those gams at VintageGirlwatchers.com, kids, and get tips on how to start your "collection" - but don't let your parents catch you peekin'!

But what the heck is "the kitten type"?

Everyone drinks the purple Kool-Aid... attempts at raising the spirit of Jim Jones, however, yield mixed results...

By Blurt Staff

A picture is worth a zillion words...

On Friday night (09.11) as part of Camper Van Beethoven's show during their 5th annual CAMPOUT music festival near Joshua Tree, CA (which they co-headlined with David Lowery's other band Cracker), the band requested that their fans (or, as the case may be, "followers") all wear white to their performance. When they arrived at the show Lowery was there serving grape Kool-Aid when they walked in. The photo above was shot just after their performance that night (Front row - 3rd from left: Victor Krummenacher, Frank Funaro. Second row: Jonathan Segel, David Lowery, Greg Lisher). 

(Photo credit: Brad Jones)

Collector porn for the discriminating indie rock fan, yo.

By Blurt Staff

Get ready to feast your eyes, indie rock fans: The Merge Records Companion: A visual discography of the first twenty years is en route from, you guessed it, Merge Records on Nov. 3. It will cap a year-long celebration of Merge's storied 20-year tenure, that's included the sold-out festival, the sold-out subscription box set, and the behind-the-scenes book. (Full report on the latter in the new issue of BLURT, headed to a newsstand near you.)

This cd-sized volume contains photographs of every 7-inch, album, EP, and DVD (plus two cassettes!) put out by Merge in our first twenty years. For design fans, the three-hundred-plus photos chronicle the evolution of album cover design, from when cut-and-paste wasn't just an "aesthetic", but rather the only available production technique for bands (see early records from label founders' own band, Superchunk, and Raleigh punk-pop outfit Erectus Monotone) to the sophisticated design of the consistently amazing Lambchop covers or the intricate constructions for the Arcade Fire's ten releases on Merge. 

This limited-edition, 350-page paperback book also features essays by both founders of the label, Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, reflecting on the days when they stuffed every sleeve themselves. The list of hand models in the back (Merge asked their bands and friends to hold their favorite records for the photographs) contains stars and interns side-by-side, a tribute to the collaborative ethic that has allowed one of indie rock's most likable labels to stay true to their simple mission: putting out music by bands they like. 

The Merge Records Companion is limited-edition and all proceeds will benefit the charities chosen by the fourteen SCORE! curators.

Latest installment of his Blurt blog "Wasteland Bait & Tackle" addresses the health care debate and debacle, the quality of life in America as we know it, and, oh yeah, all that shit about socialism.

By Fred Mills

"Last year, 2008, balls out free market capitalism stepped on its dick and fell on its ass. We had lived a fantasy for nearly thirty years." That's rocker and songwriter James McMurtry, writing in his Blurt blog, about where we are and how we got here - this sorry mess, that is, where capitalism collides with notions of socialism, where free market enterprise impacts real-life health issues, and more. Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, African American moms, illegal aliens... red states, blue states, welfare states... whew, the man pretty much covers it all in one free-ranging, free-thinking essay.

Concludes McMurtry, "If we'd let President Truman have his way, and implemented universal health care sixty years ago, when the rest of the free world did it, we'd probably have our system worked out by now." Sadly, our system is totally fucked, and only just now are we realizing it. But there's still time to pick up on the dialogue, and McMurtry's definitely got something to say. Read his blog HERE.

Meanwhile, we'd be totally remiss if we didn't mention that our favorite Texan also has a new live CD/DVD due out Oct. 13 via Lightning Rod. Titled Live in Europe, it's got JM and his band plus Iam McLagan on keys and fellow TX legend Jon Dee Graham guesting. And it kicks ass, too - we're listening to it this very moment.

But his apology seems sincere. See the video evidence, below.

By Fred Mills

You already know the story by now, so if you haven't been piqued enough to track down the videos of Kanye bum-rushing Taylor Swift's VMA's acceptance speech Sunday night and then his apology on Jay Leno's show the following night, they appear below.

Meanwhile, here's that news item about President Obama telling a reporter, supposedly off the record, that Kanye's a jackass. And he should know - he's from Chicago.

Neil Young, No Doubt, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Sheryl Crow, Gavin Rossdale, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett, Adam Sandler. Well, 5 out of 10 ain't all that bad.

By Fred Mills

News arrives this morning that Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit concert, set to run this year on Oct. 24 and 25 at its usual spot (Mountain View, CA's Shoreline Amphitheatre), has disclosed the roster of performers.

On both nights, Neil Young, No Doubt, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Sheryl Crow, Gavin Rossdale and the Monsters of Folk will play, while Jimmy Buffett will do Saturday only and Adam Sandler will appear Sunday.

Tickets go on sale Sunday, September 20, via Live Nation (www.livenation.com). For full details on the show as well as the background on the Bridge School, go to their official site.  

Admittedly, this makes for one of the event's spottiest ever lineups - it's hard to imagine a hardcore Neil Young fan having any desire whatsoever to see mainstream cheese like No Doubt, Gavin Rossdale (maybe a Bush acoustic set, hmmm?) or Chris Martin. Bets are that all Monsters of Folk fans in attendance will hit the concession stands during those artists' sets, too. But if the idea is to fill up seats and raise money for charity, it's hard, and possibly meanspirited, to complain about Young's choices. The presence of No Doubt and Martin on the bill should tip the attendance scales pretty handily. And Buffett will ensure that old-timers uncertain about whether to fork over the bucks will want to queue up for at least one evening; Sandler, likewise, will rope in the Gen Y crowd.

Meanwhile, check out this special, and touching, video announcement created for this year's show:

From the venerable Rockpalast archives.

By Blurt Staff

German TV's legendary Rockpalast show has featured virtually every rock band that ever mattered on its stage. Little Feat is no exception, and on Sept. 22 Eagle Rock delivers some ace documentation via the Skin It Back: Live In Germany DVD.
 

Filmed in 1977 at the Grugahalle in Essen, this concert was shot just days before the recording of their renowned live album Waiting For Columbus. Featuring the band's classic line-up, late vocalist/guitarist Lowell George leads the band - vocalist/guitarist Paul Barrere, vocalist/keyboardist Bill Payne, percussionist Sam Clayton, bassist Kenny Gradney, and drummer Richard Hayward - through the 11-song performance. The thirty minutes of never-before-seen alternate rehearsal versions of the songs include "Rock N Roll Doctor," which did not make the cut for the final show.

The main broadcast has been circulated on bootleg VHS and DVD in the past, but this marks the concert's first official release, and it will feature top audio and visual quality, not several generations' removed from the original tape source. Hoy-hoy!

Track Listing:

1.) Skin It Back
2.) Fat Man In The Bathtub
3.) Oh, Atlanta
4.) Day At The Dog Races
5.) All That You Dream
6.) Old Folks' Boogie
7.) Dixie Chicken
8.) Tripe Face Boogie
9.) Feats Don't Fail Me Now
10.) Willin'
11.) Rocket In My Pocket

 
Bonus Tracks:

1.) Old Folks' Boogie
2.) Fat Man In The Bathtub
3.) Rock ‘n' Roll Doctor
4.) Skin It Back / Fat Man In The Bathtub
5.) Oh, Atlanta
6.) Willin'

Check out the awesome ad for Red Fang. Full coverage of the festival coming from Blurt. Meanwhile, we offer our best picks.

By Jason Simms

This weekend, virtually every music venue in Portland will be taken over for the west coast indie music capital's take on a SXSW type festival, Music Fest Northwest. MFNW is a lower-key more fan-focused (as opposed to industry and swag) affair than its Austin counterpart, and this year, by my estimation of the lineup, it's really going out on a limb and relying more heavily than ever on Northwest bands.

Take this television ad for the fest. It seems to suggest that for metal fans, Red Fang, who is from Portland, is on par with Girl Talk (whose set, we learned, just sold out) or Passion Pit.

Red Fang is awesome. But they're also from Portland and if every time they played a local show heads exploded, there wouldn't be any shredders left in Stumptown. But like SXSW, MFNW performances have a certain magic and the fest does bring in out of town visitors, so we shall if the locals can carry the day. At first, I was pretty disappointed in the lack of any national headliners I was dying to see (bands like Monotonix and Bad Brains are repeat customers), but now I'm psyched to see the locals getting this level of responsibility. Here are some highlights of the Northwest offerings for the uninitiated.

The Mint Chicks (Thursday, Doug Fir, 9pm) - This twisted Brit-pop style group is big in New Zealand and making their way in the US via Portland.

Explode Into Colors (Friday, Holocene, 11pm) - A hipster drum circle band of Portland ladies that was crowned best new band of '09 by Willamette Week.

The New York Rifles (Friday, Ash St, 11pm) - ...are actually from Portland and do this sort of punk meets Southern spiritual thing that is both fashionable and rewarding.

The Lonely H (Friday, Ash St, 12am) - A Port Angeles, Washington, classic rock four piece which isn't old enough to drink but has already worn out several pairs of boots and sets of tires touring the country and has even garnered opening spots for the Grateful Dead.

Mudhoney (Friday, Dante's 12:30am) - You probably know this bona-fide pioneering Seattle grunge band.

Atole - (Friday, Rotture 9pm) - This Portland four piece is kind of like Andrew WK entertaining a gay cruise by sining in gibberish.

Y La Bamba - (Saturday, Rontoms, 7:30pm) - Traditional Mexican meets Aliyah on the dreamscape. Prepare to be transfixed by one of Portland's strangest.

Loch Lomond (Saturday, Mississippi Studios, 12am) - The most delicate and refined of the throng of Portland folk bands.

Team Dresch (Saturday, Rotture, 12am) - Olympia, Washington, queer core founders reunited to unleash fury on the X-tian Reich.

Latest pick of cool artist in our ongoing collaboration with Sonicbids.

By Fred Mills

The BLURT staff put our heads (and ears) together and we have the July-August pick for our Blurt/Sonicbids "Best Kept Secret": it's Memphis rockers the Bulletproof Vests.

Featuring members drawn from the ranks of Snowglobe, Trashed Romeos, Antique Curtains, Jump Back Jake and The Third Man, they stir up some trouble via hard-twanging garage, raveup country soul and oh-so-harmonious pristine power pop.  Hell, there's even one song that sounds like a friggin' mashup of Big Star, T. Rex and the Stones! The lineup:

Jake Vest - Vocals, Guitar
Toby Vest - Vocals, Guitar
Greg Faison - Drums, Vocals
Dirk Kitterlin - Keyboards
Brandon Robertson - Bass

According to the Vests, their album Attack was "performed and captured by the band themselves in their own Memphis studio and mixed with a magic wand and a potato battery by Ardent Studios engineer, Adam Hill, who has been involved with Big Star, Jack White, The Green Brothers, The 145's, & Jim Dickinson. Inside this smorgasbord of sound sits a rollicking exploration of tone and genre that is part psyched out backwards fuzz freak-out, part sweet country slow drippin' ear molasses, and part subterranean buzzsaw scream served with a helping of the heart stopping Memphis sound, filled with Big Star's, Moloch's, Reigning Sound's, Oblivians', Guilloteens' and MGs."

We'll have an interview with the band posted to the site shortly. Check out the band's MySpace page for song samples, tour dates and more. And congratulations to the Bulletproof Vests. They're one of the good ‘uns, trust us.

***

Bands, go to www.sonicbids.com/blurtonline to submit and have us review your materials for feature consideration.

>Our November Best Kept Secret: The Handcuffs, from Chicago.

>Our December Best Kept Secret: Black Swan Green, from Brooklyn

>Our January Best Kept Secret: stephaniesÄ­d, from Asheville

>Our March Best Kept Secret: Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle, from England

>Our May Best Kept Secret: Wiretree, from England

Due Oct. 27 for all you downloadin'  types. The rest of us have to wait until next year.

By Blurt Staff

Respected singer-songwriter - and BLURT blogger - Matthew Ryan is set to drop Dear Lover, his twelfth recording, via The Dear Future Collective. It arrives digitally on Oct. 27, while the general public will be able to nab it on CD next February 16.

The album's described as  "a mea culpa, a cry to fight for what you hold most dear" with some of Ryan's "most poignant" lyrics - "I want that feel/Like a plane when it arrives/Where at the gate/Family waits with quiet smiles" (from "City Life').

Much of the album, Ryan notes in the official press release,  "was inspired by events in the Spring of 2009. In short, last winter I found myself in an emergency room with someone I love. It seemed too soon. I guess it always is. But it started my head spinning around these songs once everything turned out alright.... It's a collection dedicated to saying the things between lovers that often go unsaid. It's not all doom and gloom. But you know, earnest to say the least."   

 
The record is his first self-recorded effort. Nine of the ten tracks were recorded at The Lerkim, his home studio in Nashville. Among the musicians playing on the album: Molly Thomas (violin), Scott Simontacchi (mandolin), Brian Bequette (guitar, bass, accordion), Billy Mercer (bass), Amanda Shires (violin) and Rod Picott (vocals). Meanwhile DJ Preach tackled a remix of the song "Spark."

Dear Lover is the followup to 2008's critically hailed Matthew Ryan Vs The Silver State.

Scratching anywhere, anytime, in or out of mosquito season...

By Fred Mills

We here at BLURT don't usually feature products in our news items - and the news item you're reading here isn't intended to open the floodgates as such (SO ALL YOU P.R. FLACKS, DON'T EVEN BOTHER ASKIN'...) - but sometimes a piece of gear just looks so sweet we can't resist, so it's worth the gratuitous plug.

Ladies and germs and scratch deejays, meet the Scratchophone v1.2, complete with drive and mixer controls. A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video (see below - it's awesome, as is the soundtrack) is worth a million, so we'll leave it at that; if you wanna find out more about how to scratch anywhere, anytime. go to the Scratchophone website.

The single "Miracle" is taken from her new album My Guilty Pleasure.

By Blurt Staff

Sally Shapiro's new video for "Miracle" is, according to Sally and her producer Johan Agebjörn, "directed by Will Joines, whom we had the pleasure to shortly meet during our one and only (and short) DJ tour to North America. He photographed us during the appearance in New York and was really nice. We like his work so we had him to direct this music video together with the producer Gilana Lobel and a few more people."

It's a fantastic, moving, emotional vid - hint: it's in hi-def, so watch it using your full screen option.

You can read more about her My Guilty Pleasure album, along with some tantalizing details about what may or may not be her true identity, in the new issue of BLURT, on newsstands soon. "Someone had to record the voice, and everyone knows Sally Shapiro is a pseudonym," she tells BLURT, of the rampant media speculation that she doesn't even exist. "I didn't really understand how they were thinking."

Read our previous Shapiro interview HERE.

Sally Shapiro "Miracle" from the album "My Guilty Pleasure" from Paper Bag Records on Vimeo.

Last concert was Nov. 20, 1999 in London... Malkmus summarily pulled the plug, bad vibes ensued.

By Fred Mills

Indie rock news o' the day has got to be about the presumed Pavement reunion, which Brookly Vegan broke last night in a posting that read thusly:

"According to reliable sources, it's finally happening in 2010! There will be multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage in September of that year. That could be part of a tour. That could be the end of a tour, the middle of a tour, or even the beginning of a tour, but it seems reasonable to speculate that they might make their official comeback at Coachella in April."

Pitchfork subsequently checked into it with their own contacts and earlier today posted thusly:

"According to a source who is real and official and not a figment of our imagination, Pavement will perform a benefit show at Central Park SummerStage on September 21, 2010. Mark your motherfucking calendars."

Indeed we will. As we all know, time sometimes heals all wounds (as does the promise of a payday) when it comes to rock band, but only sometimes; usually, those old wounds get reopened, and you can count on one hand the reunions that actually stick.

More news (or rumors) as it develops.

Combined with the box set and the Chris Bell reissue, it sounds like a great way to cap off The Year of Big Star, eh?

By Fred Mills

This week marks the release of the sprawling, 4-CD Big Star box set Keep an Eye on the Sky from Rhino, and we trust we've kept you fully apprised of that not-so-arcane-artifact thus far. A free stream of Big Star's unreleased song "Lovely Day" is available now at www.rhino.com/bigstar in case you need a nudge or somethin'. We further trust you don't need much nudging, however... that box has got to be one of the most handsomely designed pieces Rhino has ever done, loaded with photos that even the most ardent (pun intended) fans have NEVER seen.

Meanwhile New Yorkers should mark their calendars for November 18: that night at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple, Big Star will reconvene for a rare performance. Original members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens, plus latterday members Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer (both from the Posies) will perform classic Big Star material as well as songs from 2005's comeback album In Space.

It's shaping up to be The Year Of Big Star for fans and collectors, of course. We've already seen both an in-depth book on the band and reissues of its first two, key, LPs (go HERE to read about the book and CDs), and in addition to the box set there's also an upcoming Chris Bell archival release, an expanded 2CD edition of the Big Star founding member's s posthumous I Am The Cosmos, due Sept. 29 from Rhino Handmade.

We'll have a full report on both the Big Star box in the new print edition of BLURT ("With 98 cuts altogether, plus detailed track annotations and copious liner notes, the archival dig runs deep," sez our ace  reviewer) and the Bell collection on this website very soon.

The distaff one-third of folk icons Peter, Paul & Mary was a songbird of rare plumage.

By Fred Mills

Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary passed away yesterday in Danbury, Connecticut, following a four-year battle with cancer. She'd been diagnosed in 2005 with leukemia but a bone-marrow transplant held the disease at bay until recently; reportedly, complications related to chemotherapy contributed to her death. She was 72.

Born in Kentucky, Travers landed in Greenwich Village in time for the folk boom of the ‘60s, and after singing on the NYC circuit for several years she met fellow musicians Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow - Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman introduced the singers - and together the trio managed to bring a measure of commercial gloss to traditional folk sounds. They recorded numerous hits that are still staples of oldies radio, among them "If I Had A Hammer," a signature version of Dylan's "Blowin' In the Wind," the is-it/is-it-not-about-smoking-pot children's classic "Puff the Magic Dragon" and John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" - the latter, in particular, was elevated from maudlin status (read the lyrics) to a genuine pop anthem thanks to PP&M's intuitive harmonies, Travis coating the vocals with a believable vulnerability.

Travis and her partners were also champions of myriad social causes throughout their long career, which weathered its share of ups and downs, including a breakup in 1970 tht lasted until 1978 when they got back together for a concert protesting nuclear power.

In a lengthy New York Times obituary, Yarrow and Stookey  remembered their bandmate, Yarrow calling her as "honest and completely authentic" and Stookey adding "her charisma was a barely contained nervous energy - occasionally (and then only privately) revealed as stage fright."

Scott Pascucci, President of Rhino Entertainment (Rhino issued the trio's final album, In These Times, in 2004), placed Travers in the larger perspective in a statement:

 "American music has lost one of its strongest, truest voices with the passing today of Mary Travers.  As part of Peter, Paul And Mary, she was at the forefront of the '60s folk renaissance, inspiring millions of people to greater activism on behalf of racial equality, peace, and opportunity for the oppressed.

"Surely the most successful folk trio of all time, Peter, Paul And Mary have been a loved member of the Warner Music Group family for nearly 50 years. Their 1962 debut album brought folk music of consciousness to the top of the charts and was monumental in launching the fledgling Warner Bros. Records label. Their unprecedented string of gold and platinum albums, hit singles, and Grammy® Awards was truly astonishing. In 2004, the trio performed in our offices in support of their final album, In These Times; and the joy they felt for their music and the responsibility they felt toward their audiences remained as clear as when they began nearly half a century ago.

 
"Mary was always a champion for human rights. Along with Peter and Noel Paul, she performed at the March on Washington in 1963 where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech. They also performed in support of Cesar Chavez and the UFW at Carnegie Hall in the late 1960s and for strawberry pickers in California in the 1990s.  They performed at national marches for women's choice in Washington and demonstrated in support of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, committing an act of civil disobedience that led to the trio's arrest in front of the South African Embassy. 

"Although society's challenges have changed since the legendary day on which "If I Had A Hammer" rang out at our nation's Capitol, the need to engage in the process of improving our world remains just as great, and Mary's music and life will continue to inspire generations to come to improve the world in which we live." 

44 songs to be released one at a time, totally free...

By Blurt Staff

"The commitment that is most important is the one I'm making to you--that the music of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL," announced Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, about the forthcoming new album, in a posting on the band's website.

It will ultimately feature 44 songs, 4 of which are now being recorded. The entire collection-which Corgan says "harkens back to the original psychedelic roots of The Smashing Pumpkins; atmospheric, melodic, heavy, and pretty"--should be completed by early next year with a world tour slated for spring 2010. 

Explains Corgan about how the music will be issued, "My desire is to release a song at a time beginning around Halloween of this year, with each new release coming shortly after until all 44 are out. Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish."

Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, says Corgan, "is based on ‘The Fool's Journey,' as signified in the progress of the Tarot, the intention is to approach the work by breaking down the journey of life into four phases as made by different characters depicted in major arcana cards: the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic and the Mystic."

The music will not only be issued online, reveals Corgan.  "We will sell highly limited edition EPs (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EPs will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EPs will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EPs will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal CD single. We may also offer other variations for sale--say for example, a digital single with a demo version of a song."

Upon the album's completion "it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EPs need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces. "

"I am very committed to seeing this album through to its completion and very, very excited about the prospect of delivering new Smashing Pumpkins music to you in a unique and exciting way." 

Will also be performing classic 1997 opus in a series of ATP concerts.

By Blurt Staff

Spiritualized will re-issue their classic album ‘Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' on November 16 in the UK on Sony Music. (No official announcement for a US release has been made yet, however.)

The album release coincides with the upcoming live performances of the entire album; part of All Tomorrow's Parties  ‘Don't Look Back' series, as previously announced. The band were approached two years ago to perform the album live on its 10th anniversary.  It took a while for  J.Spaceman (aka Json Pierce) to finally agree to the idea. ‘It was a decision made at altitude' he says referring to being on top of Mt. Buller in Australia at the time. The live performances will see the regular band augmented with strings, brass and choir.

It is now 12 years since ‘Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space' made a profound impact in the summer of 1997, both critically and commercially, with its psychedelic soundscapes and heart-rending lyrics. It has influenced a whole range of musicians ever since. It was NME's album of the year for 1997 and reached No.4 in the official charts.  Originally packaged as a giant pill offering a written prescription, the concept was creatively inspired reflecting the depth of emotion and trauma laid bare on this truly remarkable work.
 

The album will be released with new artwork on special limited edition formats with bonus content. These bonus tracks were in storage and subsequently forgotten about until Jason Pierce moved house and discovered the ‘lost' recordings from 12 years ago. The tracks give a valuable insight into the artist's work-in-progress - demos, instrumental versions, sessions mixes - and highlight an aim for perfection prior to recording the definitive version.

The formats include:

The Collector's Edition. This will include 12 x 3" Mini CD's of the complete full album track-by-track, an homage to the original release. This will be accompanied by 2 bonus discs (as per tracklisting below). Only 1,000 of these sets will be made, making these extremely limited.

The Special Edition will include the original album in the legendary and unique pill pack style packaging, alongside the 2 bonus discs. This Special Edition will also will be a limited, one-off release.

The original album with new artwork and a revised version of  opening track ‘Ladies & Gentlemen' (now including "Can't Help Falling In Love" as originally intended for this album), will also be released as a Standard 1CD Version. 

Track Listing:


1. Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
2. Come Together
3. I Think I'm in Love
4. All of My Thoughts
5. Stay With Me
6. Electricity
7. Home of the Brave
8. The Individual
9. Broken Heart
10. No God Only Religion
11. Cool Waves
12. Cop Shoot Cop


Bonus CD 1

1. Ladies And Gentlemen (A Cappella)
2. Ladies And Gentlemen (Demo)
3. Ladies And Gentlemen (Strings)
4. Ladies And Gentlemen (Kate Telephone Call)
5. Ladies And Gentlemen (Moles Studio Mix 7)
6. Ladies And Gentlemen (Original Oratone Ideas)
7. Ladies And Gentlemen (A Cappella w/ Lead Vocal)
8. Come Together (Instrumental Demo)
9. Come Together (Demo In Lower Key)
10. I Think I'm In Love (Original Demo Idea)
11. I Think I'm In Love (Demo)
12. I Think I'm In Love (Drums/Wah)
13. I Think I'm In Love (A Cappella)
14. I Think I'm In Love (Vocal Demo Jan 96)
15. I Think I'm In Love (Gospel Choir Session)
16. All Of My Thoughts (Demo)
17. All Of My Thoughts (Strings)
18. Rocket Shaped Song

Bonus CD 2

1. Electricity (Demo)
2. Electricity (January 96)
3. Electricity (June 96)
4. Home Of The Brave (Demo)
5. Home Of The Brave (Panned Vocal)
6. Beautiful Happiness
7. Broken Heart (Demo)
8. Broken Heart (Strings)
9. Broken Heart (Vocal Harmony/Angel Corpus Christi)
10. Broken Heart (Early Vocal)
11. No God Only Religion (Demo)
12. No God Only Religion (Horns)
13. Cool Waves (Demo)
14. Cool Waves (String Session Mix)
15. Cop Shoot Cop (Demo)
16. Cop Shoot Cop (Dr. John 'The National Anthem)
17. Cop Shoot Cop (String Session Mix)

Spiritualized are set to perform the album in its entirety at the following venues:

12 / 13 October
Royal Festival Hall - London
SOLD OUT

14 December
Apollo - Manchester
£25 + booking fee via 0844 4777677 / giggsandtours.com

16 / 17 December
Barbican - London
£32.50 + booking fee via www.barbican.org.uk

19 December
Sage Centre - Gateshead
£32.50 + booking fee via www.tickets.thesagegateshead.org

Latest issue of subversive pinko muso rag Dagger arrives and it's a corker!

By Fred Mills

Around here at BLURT central we have one motto: "Support the troops!" (Also "ignore annoying emails from p.r. flacks" but we won't get into that right now...) Ergo, let us tip you in the direction of BLURT contributor Tim Hinely's fanzine called Dagger - the latest issue, pictured above, recently hit newsstands.

What is  "newsstand," all you Internet dweebs ask? Why, it's an archaic commercial construct designed to sell those quaint artifacts known as "print publications." You know - paper, ink, glue, staples, dead trees, landfill refuse...

Issue #42 of this long-running labor of love is crammed with photos of the legendary garage loons the Mummies, interviews with some of our favorite artists (like Tim Lee, Elf Power and David Kilgour of the Clean) and more record reviews than you can shake a 45 adapter at.

Hinely, based outta Portland, also has a pretty snazzy website you should check out. But clearly, if you're a REAL man, er, music fan, you will want the physical goods. Plus, you'll be doing your part to thwart the creeping contemporary trend of magazines going under and disappearing for good. Tell Tim BLURT sent ya...

Now THAT is the power of love. Not your mama's type of jam band, that's for sure.

By Blurt Staff

Back in April, San Fran loonies Still Flyin' released their latest album Never Gonna Touch the Ground (Ernest Jenning), a mesmerizing amalgam of psychedelia, mutant world beat and indiepop that's still a favorite around here at BLURT central.

Now comes word that ace knobs twiddler Hood Internet has remixed the band as "LMFAO vs Still Flyin", and you can nab a copy of it via download right HERE. You'll be glad you did - it's like taking a whole new drug!

The band's on tour right now too...

9.19.09 Athens, GA (Kindercore and Owl Scooters Hootenanny) w/ Maserati and more
9.20.09 Atlanta, GA The Earl w/ Peelander-Z, Excalibrah
9.21.09 Knoxville, TN Pilot Light w/ Excalibrah
9.22.09 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 w/ Air Waves, The Beets, Excalibrah
9.23.09 Washington DC DC9 w/ Excalibrah
9.25.09 NY, NY Mercury Lounge w/ The Rifles
9.26.09 Boston, MA Cafe 939 @ Berklee w/ Pants Yell, Excalibrah
9.27.09 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's w/ Ape School, Folklore
10.21-24.09 NY, NY CMJ!!
10.25.09 Geneseo, NY Mac's Place
10.26.09 Columbus, OH The Basement
10.27.09 Chicago IL Schuba's
10.28.09 Des Moines, IA Vaudville Mews
10.29.09 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock
11.01.09 Austin, TX Stubbs BBQ
11.03.09 Tucson, AZ Club Congress w/ Fatima, Yellow Fever
11.05.09 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland w/ Hearts Of Palm UK
11.06.09 Santa Cruz, CA Don Quixotes
11.07.09 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord w/ Yellow Fever

Bands currently touring together.

By Fred Mills

Hot off a UK tour with Dinosaur Jr, BLURT faves Dead Confederate have just kicked off their co-headline tour with the Meat Puppets. It started last night in Tempe and will run through Oct. 24 in Athens. After that the band will hook up with A Place to Bury Strangers and All the Saints for dates running through early November.

Meanwhile, the band is offering a free digital 7": Dead Confederate's "The Rat" (Live from Laundromatinee.com) plus The Meat Puppets "Go To Your Head "(from Daytrotter's SXSW sessions)". We're not exactly sure how something in digital form can have seven inch dimensions, but what the hell, go here to get the tunes. All you'll have to do is provide some quick contact info for their mailing lists.

Tour Dates:

Sep 16 - Tempe AZ Marquee Theatre - AZ!
Sep 17 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern!
Sep 18 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre!
Sep 19 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's!
Sep 20 - Sebastopol, CA - HopMonk  
Sep 22 -  Portland OR. Wonder Ballroom!
Sep 23 - Seattle WA - Chop Suey!
Sep 24 - Boise, ID - Grizzly Rose!
Sep 25 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge!
Sep 26 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre Boulder!
Oct 21 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Café!
Oct 22 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In!
Oct 23 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade!
Oct 24 -  Athens, GA, 40 Watt Club!
Oct 26 - Chicago, IL - Double Door*
Oct 27 - TORONTO, ON - The Mod Club*
Oct 28 - MONTREAL, QC - Il Motore*
Oct 29 - New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom*
Oct 30 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs*
Nov 5 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
Nov - 7- Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fest

! w/ Meat Puppets and Ume
* w/ A Place to Bury Strangers and All The Saints

It's a real man's magazine, made by real men.

By Sparky LaFlame

With the third print issue of BLURT nearly finished - it's due on newsstands in a couple of weeks - the BLURT editorial staff took time out from proofing and layout for a weekend corporate getaway. With pickaxes, spears, chain mail vests and random biker accessories in tow, we scaled the nearby Von Diablo peak and hunkered down for some serious male bonding. Upon our return, refreshed and revitalized (albeit with numerous scars and oozing flesh wounds), we resumed work on the magazine.

(Pictured above, L-R: Andy "Staff of Fertility" Tennille, Randy "Scythe" Harward, Scott "The Impaler" Crawford and Fred "Chigger" Mills. Absent from the photo: A.D. "A.D." Amorosi, who'd gotten his chain mail pants hung on a protruding root while climbing Von Diablo and was still struggling to extricate himself. Apologies to TYR, incidentally.)

At Anthology Film Archives, NYC Sunday, October 4 @ 8 pm, featuring Genesis Breyer P-Orridge as the "Sacrifist," Timothy Wyllie, Adam Parfrey, and The Sabbath Assembly band performing original Process Church songs.

By Blurt Staff

Was The Process Church truly "one of the most dangerous Satanic cults in America"? Or were they an intensely creative apocalyptic shadow side to the flower-powered '60s and New Age '70s? Scores of black-cloaked devotees swept the streets of New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, and other cities selling magazines with titles like Sex, Fear, Love and Death, and a controversial theology proposing a reconciliation of Christ and Satan through awareness and love. Marianne Faithfull, George Clinton and Mick Jagger participated in Process publications, and Funkadelic reproduced Process material in two of their albums.

The inside story of this legendary group has at last emerged with Feral House's Love Sex Fear Death book by Timothy Wyllie and other former members. On Oct. 4, Feral House, Process Media, and Sound@One present a simulation of an actual Process Church "Sabbath Assembly" ritual as performed in the 60s, featuring Genesis Breyer P-Orridge as the "Sacrifist." Author Wyllie (Father Micah) will follow to discuss the cult and his time within it in a multimedia presentation. The Sabbath Assembly band, comprised of Imaad Wasif (Tee Pee Records), Jex Thoth (I Hate Records), Laura Leontine, and David Christian (of No-Neck Blues Band), will perform Process hymns and songs throughout.

Oct. 4 at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, NYC (212) 505-5181

Check out excerpts of the Process Church book here.

Read about the sold out Process Church Ritual and Salon shows in LA.

 
And a review of the Sabbath Assembly Band's performance here.

For Your Own Special Sweetheart arrives on CD and vinyl Nov. 24.

By Blurt Staff

Seminal DC post-punk band Jawbox will reissue their consummate release, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, on November 24th. The album, which was originally released on Atlantic Records in 1994, sees the band returning to their roots at the renowned Dischord Records as well as their own DeSoto label, which will work together to release this reissue.  Jawbox was one of the cornerstones of the pivotal DIY punk label, in good company with bands such as Fugazi, Minor Threat, Rites of Spring and Shudder To Think.  

With the help of Dischord and engineer Bob Weston (Pixies, Jawbox, and member of Shellac), For Your Own Special Sweetheart is meticulously remastered and will be re-released on both CD and vinyl.   And, according to bass player, Kim Coletta, "it just sounds a whole lot better." The collection will include the entire original song line-up along with three additional tracks that appeared on the Savory +3 EP released by Atlantic in 1994.  The vinyl version will include a coupon redeemable for free digital download of all songs including the bonus tracks.  

Of For Your Own Special Sweetheart, Pitchfork Media raved, "it's one of the greatest slabs of angular guitar throb that the District of Columbia produced during the 90s, which is saying something." They called single "Savory" "the weirdly sexy guitar tangle that remained a cool-kid mixtape staple for at least a decade."  

Jawbox arose from the primordial pond of DC's raucous, vibrant underground in 1989, bringing with them a loud, fast and spirited brand of punk rock that brought zealous fans into the pit in droves.  Jawbox played their first show opening for Fugazi in 1989; For Your Own Special Sweetheart recalls the latter's hardcore leanings.  After two releases on Dischord they captured the attention of Atlantic Records, with whom they released For Your Own Special Sweetheart, widely considered to showcase the band at its peak.  The combination of heavy rhythms, guitar-driven soundscapes and hooky melodies both hark back to and distinguish the band from their roots among Dischord's finest underground offerings, the boundaries of which they constantly pushed.  

Jawbox is J. Robbins (guitar, vocals,) Kim Coletta (bass,) Bill Barbot (guitar) and Zach Barocas (drums.)  

Track Listing:

1.    FF=66
2.    Savory
3.    Breathe
4.    Motorist
5.    LS/MFT
6.    Cooling Card
7.    Green Glass
8.    Cruel Swing
9.    Jackpot Plus!
10.  Chicago Piano
11.  Reel
12.  U-Trau
13.  Whitney Walks
14.  L'il Shaver*
15.  68*
16.  Sound On Sound*

(* = tracks not on original release)

Buddy Miller almost pull off a sweep; Justin Townes Earle nabs coveted Emerging Artist award.

By Blurt Staff

Acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Buddy Miller was the biggest winner at the 8th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards Show Thursday night at the Ryman Auditorium, taking home trophies in almost every category for which he was nominated.

Performing in celebration of lifetime achievement awards were John Fogerty, Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel, and Sam Bush.   John Prine and Nanci Griffith sang a duet in honor of recipient Jim Rooney.  The AMA's annual awards show, hosted by Jim Lauderdale, was also a showcase for both established artists and the next generation of stars, all contributing fresh material to the Americana music scene.  Performers included Rodney Crowell, The Gourds, Raul Malo, The Flatlanders,  Reckless Kelly,

All four nominees for New & Emerging Artist of The Year - Band of Heathens, The Belleville Outfit, Sarah Borges and Justin Townes Earle - performed during the Thursday ceremony, with Earle taking home the award via the strength of his 2008 record "Midnight at the Movies."  The show ended with an all-star jam around "Dixie Chicken," a salute to the posthumous President's Award recipient Lowell George of Little Feat.

Miller, one of Americana music's most sought-after collaborators and sidemen, won Artist of the Year, Album of the Year ("Written In Chalk," with wife Julie Miller), Duo/Group of the Year (again with wife Julie), and Song of the Year ("Chalk," written by Julie Miller and performed by Buddy and Patty Griffin).

Versatile multi-instrumentalist/producer Gurf Morlix was honored with the Instrumentalist of the Year award, keeping Miller from a clean sweep (and a three-peat in that particular category.)

The Americana Music Association's annual festival and conference, featuring panels and approximately 100 performances by legends and the next generation of stars, runs through Saturday at venues throughout Nashville.

The organization celebrated its tenth anniversary with a formal announcement of the establishment of an Americana Grammy category. The house band, assembled by Miller, included the legendary steel guitar player Al Perkins and keyboardist Spooner Oldham.

Awards:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: "Written in Chalk," Buddy & Julie Miller
ARTIST OF THE YEAR:  Buddy Miller
DUO / GROUP OF THE YEAR: Buddy & Julie Miller
NEW & EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Justin Townes Earle
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR: Gurf Morlix
SONG OF THE YEAR: "Chalk" written by Julie Miller, performed by Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR PERFORMANCE: Asleep At The Wheel
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXECUTIVE: Ken Levitan
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR SONGWRITER: John Fogerty
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR PRODUCER/ENGINEER: Jim Rooney
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR INSTRUMENTALIST: Sam Bush
PRESIDENT'S AWARD: Lowell George

Fela fans start drooling... now.

By Blurt Staff

Knitting Factory Records announced yesterday that they'll reissue all 45 Fela Kuti albums on CD and vinyl. The campaign marks the first time all Kuti releases have been issued on wax in the States, as well as the first time all of Kuti's 1960s work with the band Koola Lobitos has been available here.  The CDs will come in digipaks with the original artwork.

The 13-track compilations The Best of the Black President will kick off the series on Oct. 27. A deluxe edition will feature a DVD including segments from the film Music Is A Weapon as well as Glastonbury and Berlin Jazz Festival performances, plus interviews with Fela biographer Carlos Moore and choreographer/director Bill T. Jones. The full press release:

KNITTING FACTORY RECORDS TO BEGIN COMPLETE
FELA REISSUE SERIES
 
FIRST RELEASE TO BE THE BEST OF THE BLACK PRESIDENT WITH EXCLUSIVE DVD ON OCTOBER 27, 2009
 
FIRST TIME ALL 45 TITLES WILL BE RELEASED
ON VINYL IN NORTH AMERICA
 
FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE OF ENTIRE CATALOGUE OF
FELA'S 1960s BAND: KOOLA LOBITOS
 
BROADWAY MUSICAL FELA! TO OPEN
NOVEMBER 23 AT EUGENE O'NEIL THEATRE

Knitting Factory Records is very excited to announce that over the next 18 months, all 45 Fela titles will be remastered and re-released in unique digi-packs with the original artwork. This reissue series will mark the first time all of the titles will be released on vinyl in North America, and also the first official release of the entire catalog of Fela's 1960s highlife band Koola Lobitos. The first release of the series will be The Best Of The Black President on October 27, 2009, which compiles 13 of the most popular Fela compositions. The deluxe edition of the CD will come with a DVD featuring segments from the film Music is the Weapon, performances from the Berlin Jazz Festival, "Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense" from the Glastonbury Festival and interviews with choreographer/director Bill T. Jones and Fela biographer Carlos Moore.   Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones is the director and choreographer of the new Broadway musical, FELA!, based on the life and music of the legend. The critically acclaimed musical will open at the Eugen O'Neill Theatre in New York on November 23. Sold-out crowds were left dancing in the aisles during its premiere last summer at Off-Broadway 37 Arts, as the world renowned Antibalas and other members of the NYC Afrobeat community, under the direction of Aaron Johnson, performed Fela's music live onstage.   "The timing couldn't be more perfect," says Knitting Factory Records' Ian Wheeler. "With the play opening, it made the most sense to start the reissue series in the fall. We are taking great care working with Fela's estate to make the reissue series the most true to the artist's original concepts than ever before. We have a lot of fun ideas up our sleeves too."   Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, previously Ransome-Kuti, was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1938. His father, like his grandfather, was a minister of the Protestant church, and director of the local grammar school. His mother was a teacher, but later became a politician of some considerable influence. His parents sent him to London in 1958, but rather than study medicine like his two brothers and his sister, Fela chose to register at the Trinity School of Music, where he was to spend the next five years. He formed Koola Lobitos with other Nigerian musicians living in London.   Fela decided to take the Koola Lobitos to the United States in the mid 60s. In Los Angeles, he changed the name of the group to Fela Ransome-Kuti And Nigeria 70. At the club where they were playing, he met an African American girl, Sandra Isodore, who was a close friend to the Black Panthers. She introduced Fela to the philosophies and writings of Malcolm X, Eldridge Cleaver and other Black activists and thinkers, through which he was to become aware of the link existing between Black people all over the world. While in Los Angeles, Fela also found the inspiration he was seeking to create his own unique style of music, which he named Afro-Beat. Before leaving America, the band recorded songs in this new style. When he returned to Nigeria, Fela once again changed the name of the group, this time to Fela Ransome-Kuti & Africa 70. Fela soon became a virulent critic of colonialism and neo-colonialism soon grew famous as a spokesman for the great mass of people, in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa and the African Diaspora, disenchanted with the period of post-independence. His songs became satirical and sarcastic towards those in power, condemning both military and civilian regimes for their crimes of mismanagement, incompetence, theft, corruption and marginalization of the underprivileged. In 1974, pursuing his dream of an alternative society, he built a fence around his house and declared it to be an independent state: The Kalakuta Republic. To the chagrin of the bourgeois section of the Nigerian society, this act of defiance was soon to spread throughout the entire neighborhood as more and more people were inspired by Fela's stance. The authorities remained vigilant, fearing the potential power of his "state within a state." On countless occasions, he was to suffer the consequences of his scathing denunciations with arrests, imprisonment and beatings at the hands of the authorities.   Fela presented himself as a presidential candidate in the 1979 elections that would return the country to civilian rule. His candidature was refused. Four years later, at the next elections, Fela once more stood for president, but was prevented from campaigning by the police, who again rampaged through his house, imprisoning and beating Fela and many of his followers. However, any further presidential aspirations were crushed when a coup brought Nigeria back to military rule. In 1984, Fela served 20 months of a five-year prison sentence on trumped-up currency charges. He was only released when the judge confessed to having sentenced him with such severity because of pressure from the previous regime. The judge was dismissed from office and Fela was given his liberty. Over the next decade, with an entourage of up to 80 people, now called Egypt 80, Fela made several visits to Europe and the United States. These tours were to receive tremendous public and critical acclaim, and made an important contribution to the worldwide popular acceptance of African rhythms and African culture.   Fela passed away in August 1997.

Don't forget the band will be on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, Sept. 26.

By Blurt Staff

And the remastering and rejiggering of U2's back catalog continues apace: the group's fourth studio album, 1984's The Unforgettable Fire, has been assigned an October 26 release date, on Mercury Records in the UK - presumably we'll get it here in the States via Island/Universal/Interscope on Oct. 27 since they have been responsible for all the other U2 reissues thus far.  (The American release details haven't been yet disclosed, as the news arrives courtesy of the band's official website.

It comes on the heels of the deluxe reissues of Boy, October, War and the Under a Blood Red Sky mini-album, plus the super-deluxe box set for The Joshua Tree. According to the U2 site:

Special formats of The Unforgettable Fire will also feature bonus audio material, including two previously unheard tracks from the Slane Castle sessions: 'Yoshino Blossom', and 'Disappearing Act' (a track which the band recently completed), and a DVD including music videos, a documentary and unreleased live footage from the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

The Unforgettable Fire has been remastered from the original audio tapes, with direction from The Edge and the album will be available in four formats:

* Limited Edition Box Set: containing 2 CDs (remastered album and bonus audio CD), a DVD with live footage, documentary and videos, a 56 page hardback book with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois, Bert Van de Kamp and Niall Stokes, and 5 photographic prints

* Deluxe Edition: containing 2 CDs, the remastered album, and the bonus audio CD which features B-sides and previously unreleased material, a 36 page booklet with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

* CD format: featuring the remastered album

* 12" vinyl format: 16 page booklet with liner notes by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

The Unforgettable Fire track listing is as follows: A Sort of Homecoming, Pride (In The Name Of Love), Wire, The Unforgettable Fire, Promenade, 4th Of July, Bad, Indian Summer Sky, Elvis Presley and America, MLK.

"All For The Best"comes from forthcoming Mulcahy tribute album, due Sept. 29.

By Fred Mills

A few years ago I interviewed Mark Mulcahy, and over the course of several hours he talked about his tenure with Miracle Legion and his subsequent solo career. At one point he turned reflective:

"Maybe music's not as important [to today's generation] as it maybe was to you or me. And maybe it doesn't even matter anymore. There's plenty of ways to look around for bands. I do think that MTV has been the death - the irony of them being called Music TV is not lost on people. It killed people going to check out music since they could turn the TV on and see music all the time. [But] with everything that went wrong, many things went right, and I'm happy because I got into it to make music, and I'm still making music. So at the end of the day, I win. I'm real lucky, and I've done other things too."

A lot of folks apparently took notice of what Mulcahy's done over the years, judging by the all-star roster of musicians who pitched in on that upcoming Mulcahy/Miracle Legion tribute album Ciao My Shining Star, due out Sept. 29 on Shout! Factory. Among those artists are Thom Yorke, whose version of M.L.'s "All For the Best" is an obvious standout. Today at RollingStone.com the video for Yorke's tune premiered, and it's alternately moving, haunting and heart-breaking. You can view it HERE.

Watch this website soon for an encore presentation of my Mulcahy interview. A full review of the tribute album will also be in the new print issue of BLURT.

Kicking ass and taking names... or not. Only a few hours old and already stirring up controversy.

By Blurt Staff

Damn, this gal's cocked and loaded for bear: Otep Shamaya, fiery frontwoman for heavier-than-heaven band OTEP, is also one helluva activist, and she's taking her message to the airwaves, er, to the BLURT blogosphere. This morning brought the debut of her new blog "Battle Ready," and the first installment is titled "Menace to Society."

In it, she warns of a creeping menace that is infecting America today, and how she's joined the "crusade to combat this diseased vermin before things get out of hand... Our nation was built on the good God-fearing Judaic-Christian heritage of Andrew Jackson, George Wallace, General Custer, Nixon, McCarthy, and J. Edgar Hoover. We are not, nor have we ever been, a nation of equals. We are a nation of chutes and ladders."

Liberals and conservatives alike just may get their preconceptions turned upside down. Go to the blog section of our site or click HERE to access her blog. If you dare... as of this writing, 13 readers have already commented, some of them actually "getting the point," in fact...

Part of BBC 3's "Late Junction" pairing up disparate artists; to be aired Oct. 15.

By Blurt Staff

Tortoise recently hunkered down, on August 26,  in BBC's Maida Vale Studio with Wire/Githead frontman Colin Newman. It was part of a series of collaborations set up by BBC Radio 3's "Late Junction" wherein artists who might not usually work together to spend a day in the studio recording a session (not unlike those "In The Fishtank" projects from a few years ago).

Previously the BBC has paired up Tunng and Tinariwen, resulting in a tour together. Other recent sessions have included Wildbirds and Peacedrums meeting Micachu, as well as Adem and Sweet Billy Pilgrim. The Tortoise-Newman summit is set to be aired October 15 at 11:15 pm (London time) over BBC 3.

According to the BBC, "When Tortoise and Colin Newman, two heavy-weights of underground music, went into the studio no one quite knew what to expect, but when the day was over both parties felt that the session had been amazingly productive and agreed that the resulting recording was something to be proud of."

Newman and Dan Bitney added their comments:

DAN: "This experiment could have gone wrong in so many ways, trying to basically improvise with someone you've never played with before...sometimes it just doesn't happen even with people you're used to playing with!  I'm really happy with what we came up with. Colin was great to work with and I find it refreshing to make recordings that aren't 'fixed' with hours of editing, more of a 'that's what happened' recording experience."

COLIN: "What I can say is this. I don't think here was any way in which anyone could have predicted if this would work or not, the approach was to expect zero that way disappointment would be best avoided!  However, in truth it came out way better than anyone had a right to expect. The pieces are not developed, mainly taken after a single or no run through and mixed on the fly but there is enough in their basic energy to make one wonder if this is a project which may well have a life beyond the confines of a single visit to the BBC studios in Maida Vale.... A couple of the tunes have refused to vacate my 'internal walkman'.."

Incidentally, for non-UK fans,  the program is also available to listen again for up to seven days after broadcast via the website: www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

Solo album Somewhere Gone arrives Oct.6. Meanwhile, check out this MP3 teaser...

By Blurt Staff

Despite being diagnosed recently with MS, X frontwoman Exene Cervenka doesn't have any plans to slow down - she's got a new solo album due October 6 from Bloodshot. Titled Somewhere Gone it's described by the label as "all the passion of X without all the loud - a great combination, even for people who embrace the loud." It's her first solo outing in 18 years, in fact, and you can get a sneak preview from it right here at BLURT:

"Trojan Horse"

Exene, of course, has been multitasking for years - in addition to her work with X, she's performed with the Knitters, fronted her own band the Original Sinners, done spoken word (her appearances with Lydia Lunch back in the ‘80s remain the stuff of legend), penned several volumes of poetry and even had her drawings, paintings and collages exhibited a few years ago at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. And she's announced her intentions to work with the Sweet Relief foundation to help raise money and awareness for MS.

Back to that new album: we've got a full review in the new print issue of BLURT, due on newsstands in a couple of weeks. Observes our reviewer, of the record: "These are eerie folk songs-Exene's voice has that timeless, rural, conversational quality-although all but one song are originals. It's tempting to read intimations of mortality into the record. But it's more a welcomed return than a valedictory."

Amen to that. You can get more information at Exene's official website or at her Bloodshot recs artist page.

Grizzly Bear and Lust Boys movers and shakers decide to do some extracurricular activities for extra credit...

By Blurt Staff

Brooklyn-based Terrible Records, formed by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, and Ethan Silverman of Lust Boys, are excited to announce the launch of their label with the release of the first in a series of 7-inches recorded at Terrible Studios, followed by the release of NY quintet Acrylics' debut EP, All of the Fire.

The 7-inch features Chris Taylor's first solo release as well as a previously unreleased song by Arthur Russell.  CANT, as Taylor has chosen to call his project, offers the aptly-titled "Ghosts."  The song is a haunting underwater trip through his familiar sonic territory that is found on each Grizzly Bear release. "Come To Life" is a previously unreleased folk track written and recorded by Arthur Russell in the late '70's. Its origins are a mystery but the beauty of the song shines brightly. Initially intended for inclusion on last years compilation of unreleased folk, pop, and country tunes "Love Is Overtaking Me."  The track comes courtesy of Audika Records who will release the digital download of the song on October 13th. The CANT 7-inch release is limited to 1000 copies and will be available at the label's website and select retailers. 

The 7-inch series will continue with songs produced by Taylor, recorded at his church-studio in Brooklyn where Taylor produced much of the latest Grizzly Bear record, Veckatimist.

The label will subsequently release a Taylor-produced 5-song, 10" EP from NY group Acrylics on October 28th, entitled All of the Fire.  Acrylics will be at the Mercury Lounge on Saturday, October 3, and will be performing at several shows and parties at this year's CMJ Music Marathon.

Info: http://www.terriblerecordsus.com

Did we mention the band is on the cover of the new issue of BLURT?

By Fred Mills

Beginning today, and running through September 29, NPR Music will host an Exclusive First Listen of the Avett Brothers new Rick Rubin-produced I and Love and You at www.npr.org/firstlisten. (Music fans frequently get sneak peaks of new albums a week prior to release at NPR Music, which has hosted in recent months Wilco, Moby, Bjork and Neko Case.

The Avetts album hits stores Sept. 29 (they'll be on the Letterman show the night prior) and the band is already on the road promoting it - see itinerary, below.

Meanwhile, they're also our cover subjects for the new issue of BLURT, hitting newsstands in a couple of weeks. As profiled by our Contributing Editor A.D. Amorosi, the Avett Brothers have their entire career to date recapped, along with some illuminating anecdotes as well as producer Rubin's own assessment of the band.

"As soon as I met them, I knew they were special," said Rubin. "Meeting them as much as anything promoted our working together."

"It was what our game was meant to be," said Scott, of the recording sessions. "We all did our jobs, brought the craft and let the art lead the way."

Tour Dates:

9/22     Oxford, MS                             The Lyric Oxford

9/24     Memphis, TN                           Minglewood Hall

9/25     Little Rock, AR                        Robinson Center Music Hall

9/26     Tulsa, OK                                Cain's Ballroom

9/27     Dallas, TX                                Granada Theater

9/29     Baton Rouge, LA                     Baton Rouge River Center Theatre

10/1     New Orleans, LA                     House of Blues

10/2     Austin, TX                                Austin City Limits

10/3     Midwest City, OK                    Rose State PAC

10/5     Murray, KY                             Lovett Auditorium Center

10/15   Baltimore, MD             Rams Head Live

10/16   Philadelphia, PA                       Electric Factory

10/17   New York, NY                        Terminal 5

10/18   Boston, MA                             House of Blues

10/20   Iowa City, IA                           The Englert Theatre

10/21   Madison, WI                            Barrymore Theatre

10/22   Urbana, IL                               Canopy Club

10/29   Huntington, WV                       Keith Albee Theatre

10/30   Louisville, KY                          Louisville Palace

10/31   Nashville, TN                           Ryman Auditorium

[Photo Credit: Chris Wilson]

2.25 million units and counting...

By Blurt Staff

Okay, so we brought you not one, but two features on the Beatles remasters, and we were even courteous enough to do some research on eBay and at music retail sites to fill you in on what's going on among Fab Four collectors.

Now comes an official press release from Apple about the bottom line - that the Beatles remasters sold more than 2.25 million CDs during the first week of release, breaking chart records all over the planet. Rather than filter the news, we'll just let you glom the entire shebang. Warning: your eyes just may glaze over. But hey, would you rather be reading about, say, a Garth Brooks or Backstreet Boys record-breaking event?

***

London, England - September 22, 2009 - Underlining their timeless appeal and unique status in music, The Beatles have broken multiple chart records around the world following the September 9, 2009 (9-9-09) CD release of their digitally re-mastered catalogue. In the major music markets of North America, Japan and the UK, consumers purchased more than 2.25 million copies of The Beatles' re-mastered albums, individually and in two multiple-CD boxed sets, one in stereo and one in mono, during the first five days of release (excluding non-traditional retail outlets whose sales are not tracked by the chart compilers).

The Beatles' original UK studio albums were re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.

The most popular band of the 20^th century, The Beatles are beloved by music fans in the 21^st century, as evidenced by their current unparalleled global chart performance:

• US: During the first five days of release, consumers purchased more than one million copies of re-mastered Beatles titles, and the individual CD and boxed sets debuted strongly across multiple Billboard charts.
• • On Billboard's Comprehensive Albums chart, which lists the most popular album releases in the US, including current and catalogue titles, The Beatles set a new record for the most simultaneous titles by a single artist (18), including five of the top 10 and nine of the top 20.
  • On the Pop Catalog chart, The Beatles achieved another new Billboard chart first for the most simultaneous titles in the top 50 (16), a record they previously set themselves with 12 titles in December 1995. The Beatles have nine of the chart's top 10 titles, and all 14 re-mastered CDs are in the top 20, led by ‘Abbey Road' at number one and ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' at number two.
  • On the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, ‘The Beatles' stereo boxed set debuted at number 15, and ‘The Beatles in Mono' limited edition boxed set debuted at number 40.

• UK: In last week's chart, The Beatles had four titles in the top 10, seven in the top 40 and 16 in the top 75, including both the stereo and mono boxes, as well as 2000's ‘Beatles 1' compilation. This set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the UK charts according to the UK Official Charts Company. In this week's UK chart, The Beatles have 13 albums in the top 75. A further 84,000 CDs were sold last week, bringing their total sales of the remasters to more than 354,000 in 11 days and their total UK sales this decade to 6,755,000.
  
  
  
• Japan: All 14 re-mastered titles and boxed sets debuted in the top 25 of the international chart, including seven of the top 10, led by the stereo boxed set at number two, the mono boxed set at number three, ‘Abbey Road' at four and ‘Let It Be' at six. Across all titles and box sets, more than 840,000 albums were purchased by consumers in Japan in the first three days of sales.

• Canada: The Beatles have 15 of the top 20 catalogue titles including all of the top 11. The stereo boxed set is a new entry in the current albums chart at number four, the highest debut for a boxed set in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales. Cumulative sales across all titles were just under 160,000 over the counter.
  
  
  
• France: All 14 of the re-mastered titles and boxed sets entered the latest album chart, including three in the top 10, led by ‘Abbey Road' at number four, a new record for the most original studio albums in the French album chart in one week.

• Italy: The Beatles have 17 titles in the current chart - all 14 re-mastered titles, the two boxed sets, plus the ‘1' compilation, a record for the most simultaneous entries in the album chart.

• Belgium: With 17 entries in the current chart - the 14 re-mastered titles, two boxed sets and ‘1' compilation - The Beatles have set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the Belgian chart as confirmed by chart compiler Ultrapop.

• Sweden: The Beatles have 16 titles simultaneously in the top 60, led by ‘Abbey Road' at number six. Local industry body IFPI have confirmed that this is a record for the Swedish charts.

• Argentina: Seven of the current top 10 albums are Beatles re-masters, led by ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band at number two, ‘Abbey Road' at number three and ‘The Beatles' (The White Album) at number four. All 14 re-mastered titles are in the top 20 and the boxed sets are at numbers 73 and 74 in the chart.

• Spain: 13 Beatles albums plus both boxed sets debuted in the latest chart, a record for a single artist. The combined sales of the boxed sets places them at number four in the chart.

• Poland: All 14 re-mastered albums and two boxed sets debuted in the current top 100, led by ‘Abbey Road' at six. This is a record for the highest number of simultaneous entries in the Polish chart.

• Switzerland: 14 Beatles titles, including the stereo boxed set, debuted in the most recent album chart, a record for the most simultaneous titles in the album chart.

• Denmark: The latest album chart includes 15 re-mastered Beatles titles, plus the ‘1' compilation, including four of the top 20.

• Australia: The Beatles have 14 titles in the current chart, including the ‘1' compilation.

• Germany: The combined sales of the stereo and mono boxed sets, with one boxed set counted as one unit sale, places them as the number three best seller in the latest chart.

• Austria: The current top 75 contains 12 re-mastered titles plus the stereo boxed set.

• Portugal: The re-mastered titles occupy 11 places in the current top 30 album chart, including three of the top 10.

• Norway: The combined stereo and mono boxed sets debut at number three with a further 12 re-mastered titles in the top 100.

• Colombia: Half of the current top 10 albums are Beatles re-masters titles.

• Korea: During the first sales week The Beatles occupied 16 of the top 17 spots in Korea's Hottracks album chart.

The Gears' Rockin' at Ground Zero and The D.I.s Rare Cuts get paired up as a deluxe reissue. What would Tipper Gore think?!?

By Blurt Staff

The Gears were formed in 1978, the heyday of Los Angeles punk, when two childhood buddies from the Glassell Park neighborhood of L.A. - singer Axxel G. Reese and drummer Dave Drive - joined forces. They created the "punk surfabilly" sound after seeing the early Hollywood punk bands while being influenced by other SoCal cultures. The band's recorded tour de force was the live album Rockin' at Ground Zero. Shortly after this epic live recording in 1982, the Gears' guitarist Kidd Spike angrily smashed his ax to smithereens mid-set at the Starwood and the Gears were done. Out if the ashes of The Gears, vocalist Reese and drummer Drive launched a new band called The D.I.s (Drill Instructors).

In its Rockin' at Ground Zero (Deluxe Edition) two-CD reissue, due out September 8, 2009, Hep Cat Records features the complete 1980 LP packaged with the first single ("Let's Go to the Beach") as well as five never-before-released demo recordings from 1979, a total of 23 Gears songs, all remastered. This edition also contains Rare Cuts!, 22 studio recordings by The D.I.s, including the entire Billy Zoom-produced five-song 12" vinyl EP Lock and Load.

 
Hep Cat will also release the original Gears Rockin' at Ground Zero as a single 23-song CD with five previously unreleased demo recordings that include the rockabilly'd-up title track, "Rockin' at Ground Zero," and the never-before-released "Girl Crazy." Rockin' At Ground Zero will also be issued by Hep Cat as a vinyl LP in a limited run of 500 copies. The long-player features colored vinyl and silk-screened jackets, just like the original 1980 LP on Playgems Records.

 
Preserving The Gears' punkabilly influence, the D.I.s moved on to a broader definition of roots music.  Many of Los Angeles' best-known punk denizens were D.I.s at various times - Jimmy Reed (Levi Dexter & the Ripchords), Matt Lee (Ray Campi's Rockabilly Rebels), Mike "Shaky" Wilcox (The Rockats), Thadius T. Baker, Patrick "Frenchie" French (The Joneses), "Venice George" Chavlez, Ron Emory (TSOL) and Jonny Ray Bartel (The Red Devils and The Knitters).

 
Although the D.I.s soldiered on through 1992, they left only one recording in their wake - the aforementioned five-track 12" EP Lock & Load, produced by X's Billy Zoom.  As well as being available as part of The Gears' Rockin' at Ground Zero (Deluxe Edition), fans can purchase it separately as The D.I.s: Rare Cuts! Punk archivist and schollar Jonny Whiteside wrote the liner notes.
 

According to Whiteside's notes, "The D.I.s worked a mutant strain of loaded beat & roll, bristling with misfit rockabilly riff-slinging, fang-bearing punk momentum and mad, deep boogaloo. The band's near-militant attitude and gleeful aggression always adhered to rock ‘n' roll's purest elemental structure, and they crafted a set characterized by skull-denting, hip shaking grooves."
 

A historical note: When Tipper Gore began her tirade against filth and pornography in pop music, she did so one afternoon on live television outside Tower Records on Sunset Blvd., brandishing a copy of the D.I.s' Lock & Load, sputtering, "This is exactly what I'm talking about." Tower sold 500 copies in less than a week.
 

Port O'Brien Gets Remixed by Bodega Girls plus Extend  US Tour with Headline Dates threadbare out Oct 6 on TBD records

By Blurt Staff

We just like the photo....

Anyhow, threadbare is the follow-up to 2008's acclaimed All We Could Do Was Sing. Parts of the album were recorded by Jason Quever of Papercuts' living room studio in San Francisco, while the rest were recorded with Aaron Espinoza of Earlimart at the Ship recording studio.  It became somewhat of a two sided record with dark, haunting, and at times meditative songs paired up with the untiring, somewhat aggressive and punchy anthems that Port O'Brien is becoming known for.  The last few years have seen many adventures for the band.  The creation of this record came with continuing changes both within the band personally, and sonically.

The band is about to kick off an extensive tour TONIGHT with Sea Wolf followed by headlining dates in November.

Port O'Brien on tour:

September 23 Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern*

September 25 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue*

September 26 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive*

September 28 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown*

September 29 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry*

September 30 Milwaukee, WI - Mad Planet*

October 1 Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern*

October 2 St. Louis, MO - The Billiken Club*

October 3 Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio*

October 4 Cincinnati, OH - Southgate House*

October 5 Rock Island, IL - Barn Show "Daytrotter Presents" +

October 7 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts*

October 8 Pontiac, MI - Verner's Room at the Crofoot+

October 9 Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dee's*

October 10 Montreal, PQ - Il Motore*

October 12 Northampton, MA -- Ironhorse^

October 13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club*

October 14 New York, NY - The Mercury Lounge*

October 16 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall*

October 17 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar*

October 18 Baltimore, MD - The Talking Head Club*

October 19 Washington, DC - DC 9*

October 21 Chapel Hill, NC - Nightlight Bar & Club*

October 22 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light+

October 23 Atlanta, GA - Criminal Record Instore

October 23 Atlanta, GA - The Earl*

October 24 Nashville, TN - Exit In*

October 26 Houston, TX - Rudyards+

October 27 Dallas, TX - The Cavern*

October 28 Austin, TX - Emo's Jr. *

October 30 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts*

November 2 La Jolla, CA - The Loft @ UCSD+

November 4 Santa Barbara, CA - Muddy Waters+

November 5 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill+

November 6 Sacramento, CA - Luigi's+

November 7 Santa Cruz Mountains, CA - Folk Yeah Presents @ Brookdale Lodge+

November 24  London, ENG - Scala+

* with Sea Wolf

+ Port O'Brien headlining date

^ with Grand Archives

New release date for Ultraviolet Nov.17 - a year after the originally slated release date. So we're going to go ahead and tell you about Dream Date.

By Blurt Staff

So we were all set to review, like, ages ago, Kid Sister's new album Dream Date (Downtown) then got the word from the rap diva's handlers that it had been reworked, with some tracks being removed and new material cut, and that an Oct. 6 date was now planned.

That, it turns out, has also been changed. The latest info is that the album is being called Ultraviolet and that it will be released Nov. 17. According to Downtown: "The album features the new white-hot single "Right Hand Hi", produced by Swedish House Mafia's Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, as well as the now infamous track, "Pro Nails" featuring Kanye West. The album boasts collaborations with Estelle and Cee-Lo and musical production by A-Trak, XXXchange, Count & Sinden, Rusko and DJ Gant-Man among others."

She'll be undertaking a handful of concert dates in October and November, full itinerary below.

Meanwhile, since we are kinda tired of hanging on to this old review of the album and have an entirely new review in the works, we figured why not go ahead and let you see what we thought of Dream Date  in its original incarnation. It was penned by ace wordsmith Jonah Flicker. Enjoy!

***

Is "guilt by association," hereby known as GBA, a valid concept? The American people (well, a slim majority, anyway) chose to ignore the intentional issue muddling perpetrated by the Republican Party, via accusations of "palling around" with Bill Ayers, and elected Barack Obama president. Verdict: over-hyped GBA. Kid Sister, on the other hand, surely hopes to benefit by palling around with Kanye West and DJ A-Trak. Kanye's presence on her debut album is minimal, allowing her talents to stand mostly alone, with crucial support from producers including Spank Rock, XXXChange, and Trackademicks. The GBA verdict is still out on this one, but the American people will soon decide.

Kid Sister's rhyming style is buoyant and effusive, as she allows her mood to burst forth in a bubbling cadence peppered with vocal dips and dives. "Family Reunion," a nostalgia track featuring David Banner, is evidence of this, as visions of barbecues get her singing - one of several instances on the album. It's also one of the few traditional hip-hop tracks on Dream Date. The majority of the record consists of banging, up-tempo, garage-house club numbers. "Life on TV," "Control," and "Pro Nails" (featuring Kanye in a throwaway verse) flaunt acid bass and stuttering drums as the bedrock for Sister's rapping. The acid house rhythm of "Beeper" may be modern, but the technology embraced isn't - if you aren't running drugs on The Wire, rocking a beeper is just a gimmick. But she seems to be keeping it relatively real, admitting on "Let Me Bang" that what really makes her happy is "a fresh box of donuts and a sundae, start my diet Monday, I'm-a get around to it one day..."

She may not yet be 30, but Kid Sister has found her niche in the old-school electro neighborhood of hip-hop, popularized when she was just a baby. It doesn't matter, though, because she sounds and looks good updating these classic sounds. Near the album's end, she plays Queen Latifah to British rapper Estelle's Monie Love on a reinterpretation of the classic "Ladies First." The playing field may be limited these days, but Kid Sister is leading the female hip-hop renaissance in terms of creativity and legitimacy. Let's see how far she can take it.

***

Tour Dates:

MON 10/19        VANCOUVER, BC        Venue*
TUE 10/20        SEATTLE, WA            Neumos*
WED 10/21        PORTLAND, OR            Holocene*
THUR 10/22        SAN FRANCISCO, CA       Rickshaw Stop*
FRI 10/23            COSTA MESA, CA        Detroit Bar*
SAT 10/24          LOS ANGELES, CA        Echoplex*
SUN 11/8             AUSTIN, TX            Fun Fun Fun Fest
WED 11/25          CHICAGO, IL            House of Blues
FRI 11/27             NEW YORK, NY            Webster Hall                                                               SAT 11/28          TORONTO, ON            Mod Club
*w/ Flosstradamus

Better living through youth brigades, we say. Check out the MP3 and video, below.

By Blurt Staff

Seminal punk label BYO Records and punk band Youth Brigade are celebrating their 25th anniversary with the release of Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records. BYO, founded by Shawn and Mark Stern, also members of Youth Brigade, asked their favorite bands to record songs from the extensive BYO Records catalog.

You can check out Pennywise's cover of the 7 Seconds original, "We're Gonna Fight" on MP3.

The resulting 31-track compilation album featuring NoFX, Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys, 7 Seconds, Leatherface, Nothington and Youth Brigade, along with a 90-minute documentary on the early LA punk scene, is available now.  The limited-edition box set release contains two colored-vinyl LPs, the documentary on DVD, and a full-color, hardcover book.  'Let Them Know' is also available as a CD/DVD set with booklet, and digitally.

Many argue that the early '80s LA punk scene was wrongly overshadowed by New York and London's punks.  With excellent archival footage and interviews with Ian McKaye, Fat Mike, the Sterns and others, the documentary, directed by Jeff Alulis, illustrates LA's role in the explosive movement.  BYO played an important part by promoting all-ages, non-violent shows and releasing seminal recordings like the 1982 'Someone Got Their Head Kicked In' compilation and early music from Social Distortion, Agression, SNFU and more.

View the trailer for the film, below. Meanwhile, we'll have an appreciation of the band and label at John Moore's Blurt blog "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" posted very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Over 8,000 artists are due money. Among them: Sal Mineo, Fela Kuti, Jim Carroll, Jules Shear, Afghan Whigs and Type O Negative (pictured above). Better step up or shut up (e.g., forfeit your royalties).

By Rev. Keith A. Gordon

Are you a bona fide recording artist, a musician with one or more albums to your name? Are you registered with Sound Exchange? If the answer to the first question is "yes," you'd better hope that your answer to the second question is also affirmative. Thousands of musicians are currently owed royalties by Sound Exchange, and if you don't claim the cash, it'll end up in somebody else's pockets.

Sound Exchange was formed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the music industry's lobbying arm, as a non-profit organization. Sound Exchange's primary reason for existing is to collect royalties for the digital transmission of sound recordings and then pay these monies back out to artists and record labels.

For example, Sound Exchange collects royalties from satellite radio stations like XM Radio and Sirius that play recorded music; from cable and satellite television (Muzak and MusicChoice channels); and from Internet radio stations like Pandora and LastFM. There's just one problem - Sound Exchange can't find many of the musicians that they owe royalties. Never mind that many are probably registered with organizations like BMI or ASCAP, or had label deals on which they are (presumably) paid royalties, Sound Exchange has been unable to send 'em a check.

On the organization's website they include a list of over 8,000 of these "lost artists," musicians and bands that are due money. Although Sound Exchange claims that they're currently paying royalties to some 31,000 artists, some critics claim that the number of "lost artists" might actually be as high as 40,000 musicians.

The list of thousands of those that are due unclaimed royalties from the digital broadcasting of their music includes both indie and major label artists, a long list of Hispanic musicians, and it cuts across the decades, from the 1960s through the current day. In some cases, exactly who is due the money is up for grabs, as the rights to many psychedelic-era bands like Moby Grape, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and the Electric Prunes (all on the list) have been swapped and sold like a shoebox of baseball cards.

In other cases, the artists have tragically passed away, especially in the case of early blues artists, as the estates of Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and Brownie McGhee, among others, are due royalties. But the more recently-departed are also owed royalties, the list also including artists like Kirsty MacColl, Fela Kuti, and Jim Carroll.

Most of the list of "lost" artists, though, seems to consist of rock and heavy metal bands and artists. There is quite a lot of talent represented here, from songwriter Jules Shear and jazz guitarist Ralph Towner to blue-collar rocker Joe Grushecky and soul giant Eddie Floyd. There are a heck of a lot of bands from the '80s and '90s, including the likes of the Afghan Whigs, Guadalcanal Diary, Lords of the New Church, Cravin' Melon, and Bare, Jr.  

Headbangers are represented by a wide spectrum of metal bands, including doomsters Saint Vitus, Malevolent Creation, Warlock, and Type O Negative. There are also the uncategorized oddballs and fringe rockers, from Slaves On Dope and Skinyard to rapper Tech 9ne and instrumentalists Man or Astro-Man? Even the estate of 1950s-era actor Sal Mineo is owed royalties for the single album that he released in 1957.

If these royalties aren't claimed by the artists within a certain period of time, they'll be forfeited to the organization. All recording artists are strongly urged to get in touch with Sound Exchange and see if you're owed any money; and if you haven't registered with the organization, you should do so as soon as possible so that you, too, don't end up "lost" and losing money in the future.

Stooges, meet ABBA. ABBA, meet Jimmy Cliff. Jimmy, meet Laura Nyro. Laura, meet Phil Collins... oops...

By Fred Mills

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," writes BLURT contributor Chris Parker in the fall issue of BLURT, "is a once interesting idea that long ago lost its luster-or, for that matter, its credibility. You'd have to visit post-war Iraq to find a plan with a more muddled sense of purpose. Beset by cronyism, stylistic blinders and a self-aggrandizing sense of entitlement, the Rock Hall's become a sad, little side show with less continuing relevance to the music world at large than the Pet Rock. In April the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Metallica, Run-DMC, Bobby Womack, Wanda Jackson, Bill Black, DJ Fontana and Spooner Oldham. Meanwhile obviously deserving and influential artists including The Stooges, Kraftwerk, Tom Waits, and Joy Division wait on the sidelines. Entire genres such as Prog Rock, Power Pop, and American Hardcore are all but ignored by the cloistered self-congratulatory backslappers that comprise the nominating committee. Shedding credibility like contestants on The Biggest Loser shed pounds, the entire endeavor needs to be taken out back and put out of its misery."

Ouch. Apparently the Rock Hall has taken Parker's editorializing to heart, because the latest nominees, announced yesterday, show a striking uptick in, dare we say it, rock and roll-ness. Get a look at the new list:

ABBA
The Chantels
Jimmy Cliff
Genesis
The Hollies
KISS
LL Cool J
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Stooges
Donna Summer

Roughly 500 voters (musicians, industry pros, etc.) will be casting their chits, from which 5 of the 12 nominee will be chosen for induction at the Rock Hall's 25^th event held March 15 at NYC's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Will this finally be the year of the Stooges? Smart money says that the voters will no longer be able to ignore Iggy & Co., given the lumps the Rock Hall took this year about the Stooges following guitarist Ron Asheton's death. As far as the others are concerned, there's no question that oldies like the Hollies, Darlene Love and the Chantels are deserving of recognition, and say what you will about Genesis or Laura Nyro, but both artists created some genuinely groundbreaking music early on. KISS' bonafides are unimpeachable; it's not like Gene Simmons is being nominated separately or anything. ABBA and Donna Summer? Pop, but still pop with panache. Jimmy Cliff has loads of cred, and we can even stomach the Chili Peppers on occasion. LL Cool J's presence on the ballot is sure to generate the usual hip-hop-ain't-rock commentary, but our prediction is that in the Obama era, that kind of talk will likely be tamped down to a degree.

So is this a shameless, too-little-too-late grab for credibility on the part of the Rock Hall? An instance of some of the dinosaurs and industry insiders on the nominating committee finally dying out to make way for fresh blood? Or just a fluke? It's probably the latter, but for now, we'll just quote the Stooges and wait for March to arrive. I feel aw-right........!

Caribou, John McEntire, Four Tet, Xiu Xiu, Mark Robinson and more do the deed.

By Blurt Staff

Merge Records has announced the tracklisting for the label's upcoming SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Remixes! - available on limited edition CD and digital download, it arrives Nov. 17. The lineup's pretty impressive too, from Tortoise's John McEntire remixing Spoon and Caribou tacking Polvo (!), to dance mavens Junior Boys putting their spin on Lambchop and Jason Forrest taking the Arcade Fire's classic "No Cars Go" out for a, ahem,"spin."

As with the various other SCORE!-related releases that have surfaced this year, all proceeds will benefit charities chosen by the SCORE! curators.

Track listing:

1. Caribou- Kalgon (Polvo)
2. Barbara Morgenstern- Mother of Pearl (Pram)
3. Four Tet- Baby's Way Cruel (Guv'ner)
4. The Blow- Drill Me (I Was So There Remix) (Portastatic)
5. John McEntire- The Ghost of You Lingers (Spoon)
6. Jason Forrest- No Cars Go (Arcade Fire)
7. Xiu Xiu- Volcana! (I Hope Your Train Crashes Remix) (The 6ths)
8. +/- {Plus/Minus} - Bow to the Middle (The Rosebuds)
9. Hands Off Cuba- Irene (Caribou)
10. Mark Robinson- Washington DC (The Magnetic Fields)
11. Junior Boys- The Nashville Parent (Lambchop)

Further evidence that vinyl ain't dead...

By Fred Mills

With the news of Tortoise's limited edition 12" of remixes (on Thrill Jockey) still fresh, word now arrives of yet more foot-long vinyl delights en route from the venerable indie label. Baltimore's Thank You, Jason Urick (from WZT Hearts), NYC's White Hills (an Oneida offshoot) and Brooklyn's Mountains are all available.

What you'll need to do is go to the TJ site for details on how to snap ‘em up. Best not to delay, as they are limited editions, natch - like, only 300 copies for one of ‘em. The label's initial offering of its 12" subscription series sold out (so much for getting that Pit er Pat rec, kids), and as a result it put together these new offerings. The next package ships in October, followed by package #3 in November.

Also in the works  for later this year are 12"ers from Javelin and Mi Ami (e.g. package #3), along with a limited LP from Pontiak.

Thrill Jockey kindly provided the breakdown on the platters:

Thank You "Pathetic Magic" - This is a 12" with two new songs and three remixes of the songs by Dan Deacon, Asa Osborne (Lungfish) and Jason Urick.  A very Baltimore heavy affair!

Jason Urick "Husbands" - This is a limited debut LP from Jason Urick who you might remember from WZT Hearts.  He creates minimalist electronic soundscapes that are ghosted and fragmented melodies buried in distorted tones that slowly unfurl in subtle ways that reward patient listeners.

White Hills "Dead" - Another recent signing to the Thrill Jockey family.  This debut TJ 12" is an EP that provides a quick glimpse of the forthcoming album to come.  It features drumming from Kid Millions (of Oneida) and Antrønhy ØH (of Julian Cope's Black Sheep Band).  Psychedelic space rock for the 21st century!

Mountains "Etching" - This is the limited vinyl version of a live tour CD-R the band hand on their previous tour.  It features an early version of their set from that tour and was recorded at their home studio entirely live. Each jacket is hand-stamped and unique!

Our suggestion: hire out of work rock critics to track down artists who are due royalties.

By Fred Mills

Apparently yesterday's editorial about Sound Exchange ("Digital Dollars Due: SoundExchange"), penned by BLURT contributor Rev. Keith A. Gordon, struck a nerve with the organization. Within just a few hours of posting the article, SE Executive Director John L. Simson contacted us to offer some clarifications and rebuttals on behalf of SoundExchange. (Sound Exchange was formed by the Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA], the music industry's lobbying arm, as a non-profit organization collecting royalties for the digital transmission of sound recordings and then paying artists and record labels.)

In the original editorial, Gordon pointed out that thousands of artists are listed on the SE website as being due money. Some are deceased while others are, by dint of current inactivity, probably hard to track down, although others - for example, Jules Shear, Ralph Towner and Type O Negative - are presumably not all that obscure. (Yours truly, in fact, can put SE in touch with Shear if they need assistance.) If royalties are not claimed within a certain time, they're forfeited to the organization, and both Gordon and BLURT encourage ALL MUSICIANS to check the SE website to find out if in fact they or someone they know are on the list. Read Gordon's article here.

To view the list of artists who have not claimed their artists, go to the SE website and click on "Unregistered List" in the right column.

At any rate, Simson, in his letter (see below), wants to set the record straight lest readers get the impression that his organization isn't fulfilling its mandate to get royalties into the hands of the appropriate individuals. He cites "multiple phone calls, e-mails and other communication" on the part of SE in its efforts to track the artists down, adding that they've had plenty of success stories but acknowledging that some artists remain elusive.

In some instances, says Simson, "They simply fail to return registration forms so that they can be paid." It's an evenhanded letter, and we applaud his urging musicians to get in touch with SoundExchange. As he puts it, "We hope that every one of them registers so that they can receive payments."

***

Here's the letter, in full:

Dear Reverend:

Thank you for your recent article highlighting the need for artists to register with SoundExchange so they can collect royalties they've earned when their recordings are played on internet and satellite radio. A few things you may have missed: many of the artists on the list are not "unfound" or "lost" and have received multiple phone calls, e-mails and other communication from my staff, from consultants who work for SoundExchange tracking down artists and fellow performers. They simply fail to return registration forms so that they can be paid. In other cases, like the Strawberry Alarm Clock, I tracked down the bass player in Calabasas, CA and we got him signed up. However, he wasn't able to get us the other members of the band.

Typically, if an artist has a web presence: a facebook page, a myspace page or a website, we will send communications to them. We try many different methods to locate as many people who are owed royalties as possible. We recently completed a "match" comparing our database with those of CDBaby and ReverbNation. This matching turned up about 12,000 hits. Letters will go out to those artists from the respective companies alerting these artists that they have money at SoundExchange. We hope that every one of them registers so that they can receive payments. We have done similar matchings over the years with the Recording Academy, the Blues Foundation, AFM, AFTRA and many other industry organizations. We have done preliminary matches with ASCAP and BMI and are hopeful they will agree to do more to ensure that their members are getting any royalties owed to them. (One issue with ASCAP and BMI is that they will sometimes only have information regarding the songwriters in a group and not those who didn't write - we may only have a group name that does not match the songwriter name they have in their database.)

I would be happy to discuss this issue with you in more detail if you'd like to learn more about our outreach efforts.

Best regards,

John L. Simson

Executive Director, SoundExchange

1121 14th Street, N.W. Suite 700

Washington, D.C. 20005

Phone: 202-640-5890

Fax: 202-640-5891

 JSimson@soundexchange.com

www.soundexchange.com

***

Now (you knew there might be a "however" coming, right?), although Simson makes a number of excellent points - and again, just to be clear, this is all about people getting paid what they are due, not playing music biz politics - it's worth making a few additional points.

I talked to Gordon, and he noted that in the past he has contacted various musicians after spotting their names on the unclaimed royalties list in order to notify them they're due money. How did he contact them? In a few instances, he already had an address, email, or phone number; being a music journalist for your entire adult life tends to help you build up a lot of information, and this is a case of it definitely being useful information (compared to the typical geek-stuff we critics file away mentally or in boxes in our attics). For others, he simply put in some time employing Google and other search methods. There's this little thing called Directory Assistance you may have heard of that telephone companies make available, too; if a ‘60s band was originally from, say, San Diego, odds are better than none that a former member of the band still lives there.

"Some of [Simson's] assertions are fair," said Gordon, "and I do believe that SoundExchange does a decent job in finding newer artists; the lack of more contemporary musicians on the list would seem to bear this out. I have spoken personally with some of the older artists on the list in the past, though, and they've expressed total surprise when I told them about Sound Exchange. To a man - and woman - they all stated that, to the best of their knowledge, neither they nor their representatives had been contacted by the organization.

"I contacted three dozen artists on the list with the information that the organization was holding money for them. Today, around 6 or 7 of those artists I contacted remain on the list, which says that they didn't listen to me the first time around, or my information didn't get to the right person. Of the 36, I personally knew 6 or 8 and was able to contact them directly - and today they're all off the list. I found the rest of them by spending a couple of hours with Google and contacting them through their websites."

So this raises the question, if a lowly roccrit can do the job that SoundExchange is supposed to be doing, and all by himself, and without compensation, why the heck can't SoundExchange scare up a handful of interns to do exactly what Gordon did? Trust us, there are TONS of music fans that would LOVE to intern for a respected, high-level music industry group like SoundExchange, and some of them are probably well-qualified to put in the effort and research, too. Let's face it, SE staffers are faced with a daunting task, and it's unlikely they're paid on a level of, say, a law office's paralegals (just to draw a parallel here - lawyers are always trying to track down individuals who have gone missing, are off the grid or simply remain elusive). But if aided by eager-beaver interns, there's no doubt that the SE staff could up its "score" ratio - which is why we think Simson's suggesting that SE has been exercising full due diligence may be a tad disingenuous.

Memo to SoundExchange: Google. Bing. Yahoo Search. Also: if you don't have anything but the name of a band in your database, go to Wikipedia, All Music Guide and any number of internet resources that list band members. You might not get an email or phone number right off the bat, but you'll likely get farther along the path than automatically relying on a match with the ASCAP or BMI databases.

None of this is meant to undermine Simson or SoundExchange - actually, what we're hoping is that maybe folks will start talking and the word about the royalties being held in escrow will get out to artists.

But once again: a music critic spent a few hours of his own time and located a couple of dozen artists that SE reportedly had been looking for. At the risk of sounding snarky, maybe SoundExchange should hire some music critics to help out here - lord knows there are enough of us out of work and needing the money these days, and our collective knowledge about music of all eras and genres just may represent the most extensive music database on the entire planet.

Reports of the venerable archival label's immediate demise seem somewhat exaggerated, but there have been massive layoffs.

By Fred Mills

Bloggers and music forums erupted late yesterday with rumors of the shuttering of Rhino Records. One sample posting:

"I have it on good authority that Rhino as we know it does not exist anymore as of 5:00 PM PST. Fifty or more employees have been eliminated suddenly, including almost all the marketing, editorial and art departments. This is absolutely devastating news. I am shocked and saddened, as I'm sure you all are, too. Any music lover will feel this way. I feel so badly for the people who have so lovingly curated music history, presenting us with exceptional releases over the years."

While the sentiments are absolutely right on - I've had nothing but the utmost respect for Rhino and Rhino Handmade over the years, and feel privileged to have reviewed many of their titles, including some of the most elaborately designed box sets (collector catnip at that) on the planet - the specifics seems a bit premature.

Variety indicates that yesterday afternoon Warner Music Group laid off "between 30 and 40 staffers" with cuts made across-the-board "in all departments, including A&R, marketing, promotion and publicity." The magazine quoted from a statement issued by Rhino that "cited a ‘fundamental transformation of the physical new release and catalog business" as a reason for the cuts. Rhino will evolve into an entity that ‘handles WMG's global digital catalog initiatives, film, TV, vidgame and commercial licensing, and name and likeness representation for legendary artists.'"

Variety added that Rhino's core market for "high ticket items" such as boxed sets, had declined steeply alongside the general decline of physical product in general.

So clearly, change is afoot at Rhino. Does this mean those fantastic boxes and in-depth retrospectives are a thing of the past? It's too early to say, and judging by the vague wording of the Rhino statement, it appears the label is entering a transitional phase that we can only sit back for and see what happens.

All that aside: just recently Rhino issued massive, comprehensive boxes on Big Star and Los Angeles Nuggets (both reviewed in the new, Winter 2009, issue of BLURT, by the way) - but if the label is to go the way of the dinosaurs, let it be in such fine style as these.

Rhino Records, I salute ya.

ID all the cartoon characters in the tour poster and win a glorious prize package, including a portrait of yourself painted by Dan Deacon.

By Blurt Staff

Dan Deacon is heading back out on tour next week with his pals Nuclear Power Pants - they're traveling once again in his veggie oil bus (they'll need veggie oil this time too, same offer stands from the last tour if you're able to help provide them with veggie oil along the way). Complete, final and updated tour dates are listed below. 

To celebrate this tour, Post Typography designed a new poster l- be the first one to ID all of the 243 cartoon characters portrayed within it, pictured above, and you'll nab a fabulous prize. You can download the relevant materials (reproduced below) at Deacon's website here: www.dandeacon.com/contest/contest.html . Then you can email your submission to: postercontest@whamcity.com

 
THE PRIZE:

1. $500 cash
2. A Portrait of you painted by Dan Deacon
3. One of the last copies of Wham City Box set #1
4. A Copy of each of Dan Deacon's first 8 impossible-to-find releases (silly hat vs egale hat, meetle mice, goose on the loose, a green cobra is awesome vs the sun, porky pig, twacky cats, live 2003, acorn master)

Tour Dates:

10-01 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle *
10-02 Atlanta, GA - Eyedrum *
10-03 Athens, GA - 40 Watt *
10-04 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
10-05 Nashville, TN - The End *
10-06 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Café *
10-07 New Orleans, LA - Big Top *
10-09 Austin, TX - Emo's Alternative Lounge Outside *
10-10 Marfa, TX - The Shade Structure*
10-14 Irvine, CA - Pacific Ballrom (UC Irvine) *
10-15 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
10-16 Los Angeles, CA - Eagle Rock Center for the Arts *
10-17 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
10-19 Sacramento, CA - Fungarden *
10-21 Eugene, OR - Agate Hall (University of Oregon) *
10-22 Portland, OR - Worksound *
10-23 Portland, OR - Holocene *
10-24 Seattle, WA - Vera Project *
10-27 Denver, CO - Rhinoceropolis *
10-29 Northfield, MN The Cave (Carleton College) *
10-30 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium *
11-01 Gambier, OH - The Horn Gallery *
11-03 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dees *
11-04 Toronto, Ontario - Great Hall *
11-05 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore *
11-06 Montreal, Quebec - Eastern Bloc *
11-07 Middlebury, VT - Middlebury College *
11-08 Boston, MA - Pozen Center (Mass. College of Art) *
11-09 Pawtucket, RI - Machines *
11-10 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub *
11-13 Troy, NY - Experimental Media & Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute *
11-14 Worcester, MA - The Grind (Clark University) *
11-15 Ithaca, NY - Emerson Suites (Ithaca College) *

* with Nuclear Power Pants

Afro-punk Hits The Road For First National Tour Featuring Saul Williams & Guests, Including The London Souls, Hollywood Holt, Krak Attack, Activator,The Smyrk, J*Davey, Irradio, American Fangs.

By Blurt Staff

Inspired by the the seminal film Afro-punk (2003), spotlighting Black Punks in America, Afro-punk is a growing cultural movement giving a voice to thousands of multi-cultural kids fiercely identifying with a lifestyle path-less-traveled. Not unlike the early days of Hip-Hop, the scene is a touchstone for tens of thousands of urban progressive kids across the nation (and the globe) who, tired of feeling like outsiders, have sought out  Afropunk.com, where thousands of users, bands, bloggers, and activists gather to and connect with the Afro-punk community.

After spending the last five years presenting an annual week-long arts festival at the world-renowned Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, Afro-punk is now ready to take the festival on the road in 2010. So to warm things up they will be hitting several major cities this fall. Expect an "explosive mix of music, Xtreme sports, and visual art."

Described by the New York Times as putting "rock and rebellion squarely in the category of African-American music," Afro-punk is ready to break nationally. The festival has a history of presenting new artists before they hit it big, such as Grammy-nominated Santogold, The Noisettes and Janelle Monae, who performed at the 2008 festival. The 2009 Afro-punk Tour Lineup will be headlined by Saul Williams ("The Niggy Tardust Experience") and will feature at select dates The London Souls, Hollywood Holt, Krak Attack, Activator,The Smyrk, J*Davey, Irradio, American Fangs, along with additional artists added in each local market. 

Full details, including the background of Afro-punk at the official website, natch.

Tour Dates:

Our third pick in a new series: Portland band's new album is what's twirling our tassels as we head into the weekend. Check out the free MP3, below.

By Fred Mills

Panther's new album is titled Entropy and it's due out next Tuesday courtesy Kill Rock Stars. You can our review HERE.

As BLURT's Jennifer Kelly put it, "For Panther's latest work... pop forms are unceasingly put together, pulled apart and reassembled. Here rhythms, melodies and harmonies rub together in a humming friction of point, counterpoint and chaos."

Panther is BLURT's third official Band O' The Week. (Previously: The Clean, and Os Mutantes.) Check back each Friday for that week's selection.

Check out the band's MySpace page for song samples - and you can get a taste right here, via their edgy cover of Can's "Vitamin C."

Ultra-cool Some Days are Better than Others trailer is ready for viewing!

By Blurt staff

Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick has launched the trailer for Some Days are Better than Others, his debut feature film. You can view it at the film's website, www.somedaysthemovie.com or below.

(Carrie Brownstein as Katrina)

Shot primarily in Portland and the surrounding areas, Some Days are Better than Others is a poetic, character-driven independent feature film starring James Mercer, Carrie Brownstein, Renee Roman Nose, and David Wodehouse. A charmingly melancholy look at abandonment, Some Days are Better Than Others asks the question, "Why do the good times slip by so fast while the sad times seem so sticky?" The film thematically explores heartbreak, abandonment, and alternative forms of communication while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters who seem to get kicked down by life time and time again. Above all else, Some Days are Better Than Others is a quirky black comedy about the disposable relics of our always-consuming society. It's a film about growing up, growing old, and holding on to hope while looking for second chances.

(James Mercer as Eli)

More news regarding the film's release will be announced soon.

BLURT-approved blooze-punk miscreants serve up a heapin' helpin' o' fun.

By Blurt Staff

Coming to a BLURT review near you: Fort Wayne, Indiana's Left Lane Cruiser, whose new album is All You Can Eat Alive Records. The two-man band features Freddie J Evans IV (aka Joe) on slide guitar and vocals, and Brenn Beck (aka Sausage Paw) on big-ass bass drum, harmonica and a toolbox full of percussive gear. Evans provides the firey fingerpicking and husky vocals. For Beck, everything is an instrument: trash cans, washboards, paint trays, hubcaps, ladders, you name it.

Learning their craft by playing at house parties, at the corner streets of their home town, and rehearsing in a heatless garage, they have developed their personal take on the North Mississippi Hill Country sound. They have toured relentlessly, sharing the stage with artists such as Black Diamond Heavies, T-Model Ford, and Bob Log III. They have also appeared at the infamous Deep Blues festival in River Falls Wisconsin in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

All You Can Eat is the latest release from the super blues duo. It showcases the band's high-voltage punk blues style they're known for and it is everything fans of their Alive debut expects and a lot more. A follow up to their acclaimed 2008 release "Bring 'Yo Ass To the Table," this new album was recorded in Detroit at the infamous Ghetto Recorders, and produced by legendary Jim Diamond.

Watch for the review very soon. The band is hitting the road in October too, so you have been warned:

US Tour Dates

Oct 5 @ The Northside Tavern - Cincinnati, OH
Oct 6 @ The Green Lantern - Lexington, KY
Oct 7 @ Hal and Al's - Columbus, OH
Oct 8 @ The V Club - Huntington, WV
Oct 9 @ The Garage - Winston Salem, NC
Oct 10 @ The Bohemian - Greenville, SC w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Oct 12 @ The End - Nashville, TN
Oct 13 @ JJ's Bohemia - Chattanooga, TN
Oct 14 @ The Hideaway - Johnson City, TN
Oct 15 @ Visulite Theater - Charlotte, NC
Oct 16 @ The Star Bar - Atlanta, GA
Oct 17 @ Knoxville, TN

European Tour Dates

Oct 30 @ La Boule Noire - Paris, France
Oct 31 @ La Peniche - Chalon s/Saone, France
Nov 1 @ Le Galion - Lorient, France
Nov 4 @ Peniche Sonic - Lyon, France
Nov 5 @ Queen Kong Club - Neuhatel, Switzerland
Nov 6 @ Caves Du Manoir - Martigny, Switzerland
Nov 7 @ Le Transformateur - Fribourg, Switzerland
Nov 8 @ El Lokal - Zurich, Switzerland
Nov 9 @ My Way - Freibourg, Germany
Nov 11 @ Cortinan Bob - Berlin, Germany
Nov 12 @ The Paradison - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nov 13 TBA - Stockholm, Sweden
Nov 15 @ Popdium - Sneek, The Netherlands
Nov 16 @ Little Devil - Tilburg, The Netherlands
Nov 18 @ Club Keller - Frankfurt, Germany
Nov 19 @ DB's - Utrecht, The Netherlands
Nov 20 @ Grand Wazoo - Amiens, France
Nov 21 @ L'Appel D'air - St Brieuc, France
Nov 22 @ Le Chalan - Binik, France
Nov 24 @ St Eupery - Bordeaux, France
Nov 25 @ Sant Des Seins - Toulouse, France
Nov 26 @ Cafe De Paris - Perpignan, France
Nov 27 @ Barakason - Nants, France w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Nov 28 @ Festival Blues Hauts De Seine - Mantes La Jolie, France w/ Black Diamond Heavies

Most creative use of the "F" word all week, yo.

By Fred Mills

The much-anticipated "Neurotics Of Rock" tour abruptly crumbled this weekend when representatives from proposed co-headliners the Black Lips and Wavves had what some observers are describing as "a falling out."

As reported by both Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan, the Black Lips' Jared Swilley and Wavves' Nathan Williams got into a fight during the wee hours of the morning at Brooklyn bar Daddy's (Wavves had performed Friday night at the Market Hotel, while the Lips had played at Roseland Ballroom).

You can read the accounts yourselves, but we have in this corner, one person reporting that he observed "people dragging Nathan and Jared apart, and then Jared and a popular DJ running at Nathan again" - this presumably stemming from some internet shit-talking that went on between the two a few months ago.

Then in the other corner, Williams is saying that it was unfortunate that matters escalated but he [Swilley] got what was coming to him".

And in yet another corner, Swilley comments that he didn't attack Williams at all; instead, he was the one assaulted by the Wavves tour managers and others. Said Swilley, "What happened was, after we finished our set I went to Daddy's with some friends and saw that faggot from Wavves talking to a photographer friend of mine. The only thing I did was walk up to him and say "You're that faggot from Wavves and I don't like you". He smiled a bit but didn't say anything. After that, I went outside and saw their tour manager hanging around with some guys. They started getting all chuckles with me and so I told them I wasn't gonna have it. After that, Wavves tour manager hit me square in the face with a bottle. Blood started pouring out and six dudes fucking started kicking me until I blacked out."

Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's a faggot? Who's not? Who cares! Sob! Where's Rodney King when we need him? Can't we all just get along?

Proof that indie rock has its idiots and assholes just like every other genre.

Fuck all that, let's go watch some TV:

Letters from the mailbag reveal that the controversy surrounding SoundExchange is an ongoing one.

By Fred Mills

Last week when we published our editorial on SoundExchange and the RIAA-funded organization's efforts (or "lack thereof," as one of our readers put it) to distribute royalties to artists ("Digital Dollars Due"), we didn't know we were poking a hornets' nest - or, more accurately, giving a nest that had already been poked numerous times an additional shaking.

First came SoundExchange Executive Director John L. Simson's reply/rebuttal to the original editorial along with some additional comments on our part in which we suggested a few means by which SE could more efficiently do its job.

Then the emails started coming in from readers, all of whom hold opinions (strong, it seems). Some folks didn't want to be identified if we reported further on the matter but encouraged us to include the info they provided, while others - noted rock critic Dave Marsh in particular - indicated we could treat his email as a letter to the editor. I've posted Marsh's letter in full below, along with excerpts from others.

One common theme running through the correspondence is that whenever this matter surfaces in the media, SoundExchange (usually through Simson) restates the same arguments and the same defenses, but that one central fact remains: SE doesn't do the job it's being funded to do, doesn't live up to its own mandate.

So I encourage everyone  to research this on their own and educate yourselves on a hugely important issue. Then if you're not satisfied with the situation raise a stink - or at least let your concerns be known, in the interests of getting some of these artists paid and paid on a timely basis. (Like, NOW, rather than later.) Because all controversy and finger pointing aside, that's the bottom line.

***

From Dave Marsh:

I really admire what you wrote in response to John Simson's misleading statements in defense of Sound Exchange's incompetent malfeasance as representative of artists due digital royalties, as well as appreciating the Rev. Keith Gordon article that incited those statements.

There was one flaw, which is the idea that Sound Exchange's efforts to find artists ought to be done by volunteers and interns. In fact,  using interns and entry level employees is probably most of the problem with what scant effort SE does make. The idea that people should volunteer to do one of the only two important tasks SoundExchange has is preposterous, even though it's also true that a large percentage of the "obscure" artists identified and signed up over the past few years are entirely due to volunteer effort. John Simson is paid a six figure salary, which entirely comes out of creators and copyright-owners pockets and if he won't go out and find every last one, the very damned least he can do is pay someone a living wage for tackling the task. Although he likes to make it sound that way, this is not an incidental part of the business he's in. It's one of its foundations.

As far as I can see, almost everything that needs to be done after SE has the names (sign-up is so much bullshit, it certainly does NOT "need" doing at all-they need name, address and a fair amount of confidence that the Bootsy Collins they're in touch with is not the imposter) can be done by machines, with minimal oversight at this point. I mean, what the hell does John Simson do if he's not up on the Hill lobbying for more control, more money, et cetera? Why should there be more than him and a lawyer and a couple people to answer the phones, in case it turns out that Lloyd Price's actual existence is not just a rumor?  Unless they're trying to service their clientele, which starts with knowing who that clientele is. If Sound Exchange is paying anyone for anything, this work ought to be their highest priority.

And if it's not their highest priority, then everything else Sound Exchange claims to be true ought to be called into question until the company's priorities change.

Dave Marsh

***

From name/address withheld:

You can see the obvious problem here when $100+ /million/ is going "unfound" and SE gets to absorb the missing monies -- and then blow that cash on lobbying via MusicFIRST and whatever other front group they're backing lately. Actions speak louder than words here.

This link may interest you: http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15761 [Ed. note: links to "Project Unfound Artist" by Jon Newton, of P2PNet, who writes about entertainment lawyer Fred Wilhelms' efforts at chronicling the "efforts" of SoundExchange.]

This other link also may interest you even more: http://www.p2pnet.net/story/18864 [Ed. note: links to "$101 Million ‘stuck to SoundExchange's fingers'" by Fred Wilhelms, who examines the finances of SoundExchange.]

If you or your magazine follow up with Mr. Simpson @ SoundExchange, the latter link may certainly be of more interest than the former, and worthy of more attention

***

From Fred Wilhelms:

I have been forwarded Rev. Keith Gordon's original note and your exchange with John Simson in response.  As someone who has been hearing the exact same answers from Simson for four years, it is a shame to know he still thinks he can get away with that stuff. 

 If you feel like taking up his invitation to talk, you might want to focus on actual numbers.

Here are the numbers he cannot dispute:

Since July, 2008, when the last grassroots campaign to locate artists ended, SoundExchange, left to its own devices, has removed FIVE artists from the list of over 7,500.  That's all.

In June, 2008, in a speech at Harvard Law School, John Simson admitted that SoundExchange had received royalties for over 40,000 artists who had not registered.  At that time, SoundExchange was claiming to represent 32,000 artists, so they had failed to register over half the artists they were supposed to be serving, even after six years.

According to their own filings with the Copyright Royalty Board, as of March, 2009, SoundExchange still hadn't distributed one-third of the artist royalties for the year of 2006 because the artists were not registered.  Those unpaid royalties rise to over half for the first quarter of 2008. 

According to the reports filed with the IRS, at the end of 2007, SoundExchange had accumulated over $101 MILLION dollars in undistributed royalties.  I have information that leads me to believe the current balance in that account has risen to over $180 MILLION since that report.

The problem with these numbers is if you mention them to Simson, he will ignore them, and you.... [To summarize], if you do take up Simson on his offer for more discussion, have him explain these numbers:

Five.  The number of artists taken off that published list on their website since July, 2008.

32,000.  The number of artists John Simson said were registered at SoundExchange in June 2008 in a speech at Harvard.

40,000.  The number of unregistered artists Simson admitted to in the same speech.

One-third.  The fraction of artist royalties collected for the year 2006 that were still undistributed in March, 2009, according to documents SoundExchange filed at the Copyright Royalty Board.

One-half.  The fraction of undistributed artist royalties for the first quarter of 2008 as of March, 2009 from the same filings.

$101,000,000.  The total amount or undistributed artist royalties that SoundExchange was holding as of the end of 2007 (according to their IRS filings.)  I am told that Simson has recently stated the current amount is over $180,000,000.

Substantiation for these numbers can be found in various pieces I have posted at p2pnet.net.  Just go there and search SoundExchange. 

Thanks for picking up the good fight.

Fred Wilhelms

John & Yoko, meet the Flaming Lips. Wayne, meet John & Yoko...

By Blurt Staff

David Bazan's latest (sixth) installment of his Christmas Singles Series for Suicide Squeeze is in the works, and this year, it's a corker: adaptations of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and Wayne Coyne's "Say It Isn't Greensleeves (A Change at Christmas)". It's due in stores Nov. 3.

And for all you collector scum, the 7" is pressed on blue w/ white haze (200 copies), gold (400 copies) and clear (400 copies) vinyl. As it's sure to be a sell out, Suicide Squeeze is already taking pre-orders (www.suicidesqueeze.net), and those who do pre-order will be entered in a drawing to win a test pressing of the single.

Meanwhile, watch for the new issue of BLURT, headed to newsstands as we speak - we've got an in-depth feature on the man by Senior Editor Randy Harward, who traveled to the Northwest (twice) to discuss Bazan's solo career and earlier work with Pedro the Lion, his take on family and Christianity, and more.

Band's hits recast for choir arrives Nov. 10 followed by a tour.

By Blurt Staff

As you've no doubt heard, some time agao Kinks frontman Ray Davies  adapted songs from his extensive back catalog for choir, re-recording key tunes with brand new choral arrangements. The collaboration with the the 65-strong Crouch End Festival Chorus at the 2007 BBC Electric Proms in London has now yielded The Kinks Choral Collection, due November 10th on Decca. A nationwide tour is scheduled to coincide with the release. (U.S. dates below.)

Produced by Davies himself and with arrangements by David Temple, Steve Markwick and Davies, this union casts a fresh light upon Kinks klasssics via new versions of "You Really Got Me", "All Day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and many more.
Davies said of his Crouch End vocal colleagues; "With a song like 'Waterloo Sunset', I feel as if the people I wrote it for are singing it". He added that they display "an ingenious palette of choral techniques" - for example, "See My Friends' recast as an a cappella gospel hymn to illuminate life-after-death lyrics.

There's also a six-song suite from the 1968 album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. Although not as well known as some of the bigger hits, this collection is now widely regarded as The Kinks' masterpiece, with songs like "Do You Remember Walter?" which is a poignant memoir of a vanished childhood world.

Already got the Kinks katalogue? Decca predicts the album "offers so much to explore and admire from fans who own it all, or to complete newcomers... a great introduction to Davies' idiosyncratic, delightful world."

Well, all right then. Let's hear it for delightful worlds!

Tour Dates:

Thursday, 11/12  San Fran, CA            Warfield Theatre with The Vox Society Choir

Saturday, 11/14   Los Angeles, CA      Orpheum Theatre with The Vox Society Choir

Tuesday, 11/17    Boston, MA             The Berklee Theatre

Thursday, 11/19   New York, NY        Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir

Friday, 11/20        New York, NY       Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir

Saturday, 11/21    Philadelphia, PA       Tower Theatre

Monday, 11/23    Albany, NY             The Egg

Tuesday, 11/24    Montclair , NJ          The Wellmont Theatre

Billed as "turning up in some seriously cool - and unexpected - places this fall.

By Blurt Staff

With apologies to "Where's Waldo?" - where's Neko?

Last week she was in NYC to tape a performance for the next season of the Sundance Channel's Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... and a duet with Meatwad (say WHAT?!?) rom Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

In a couple of weeks she'll be turning up on A Prairie Home Companion on October 10, and then she returns to NYC for a conversation with the New Yorker's pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones as part of The New Yorker Festival on October 17.

Finally, on November 16, Neko headlines NYC's Beacon Theater - her fall tour starts Nov. 11 in Memphis; dates below - followed in December by a stint in the Guest Programmer's chair on the Turner Classic Movies channel.

Busy gal. Those rumors about her being appointed ambassador to France, however, appear to be just that - rumors. She's got too much on her plate to worry about government silliness...

Tour Dates:

11/4 - Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
11/5 - The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
11/6 - Canopy Club, Urbana, IL
11/7 - The Clazel Theater, Bowling Green, OH
11/8 - Harro East Ballroom, Rochester, NY
11/10 - Wilbur Theater, Boston, MA
11/11 - The Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
11/12 - The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH
11/13 - Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA
11/14 - Lupo's, Providence, RI
11/15 - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
11/16 - Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
11/18 - Knight Theater, Charlotte, NC
11/19 - The Plaza Theatre, Orlando, FL
11/20 - The Moon, Tallahassee, FL
11/21 - The Republic, New Orleans, LA
11/22 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
11/23 - Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

Does two quickie gigs starting this weekend in LA, in fact.

By Blurt Staff

Thom Yorke announced last night on the Radiohead site that he has assembled a band to play a pair of shows October 4 and 5 at Los Angeles' Orpheum Theater. Thom, Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco, Flea and Nigel Godrich will play material from his 2006 album The Eraser as well as new songs.

***

From Yorke:


hi
in the past couple of weeks i've been getting a band together for fun to play the eraser stuff live and the new songs etc.. to see if it could work! here's a photo.. its me, joey waronker, mauro refosco, flea and nigel godrich.

at the beginning of october the 4th and 5th we are going to do a couple of shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. we don't really have a name and the set will not be very long cuz ..well ...we haven't got that much material yet! but come and check it out if you are in the area. we've also got locals Lucky Dragons playing.
all the best

click here to get to get tickets>

10/04

10/05

***

"Radiohead is not breaking up" - Yorke's handlers hasten to point this out, incidentally. As previously reported, Yorke released the FeelingPulledApartbyHorses/The Hollow Earth 12-inch on September 21. The single will be released digitally October 6. Both tracks were produced by Nigel Godrich and mastered by Bob Ludwig. 

Ah, but can anyone every truly "know" an enigma wrapped up in a paradox wrapped up in a dirty, blood-encrusted sock?

By Blurt Staff

Ya just can't keep a good stiff down, especially when it's a punk icon like Sid Vicious. Ergo, Odeon/MVD Visual's upcoming DVD Sid! By Those Who Really Knew Him. Due Nov. 17, it's billed as "the first intimate full-length 80 minute documentary on Sid's life."

It marks 30 years since Vicious' death from a heroin overdose (he was just 21 years old), and for the documentary many of those closest to him speak for what's reportedly "the very first time" about the Sex Pistol who wasn't willing to burn out and fade away quietly. He simply went up in flames...

According to MVD;

 
 This brand new documentary, in association with ITN Archive, charts the fall and rise of Sid Vicious from punk's hero to society's cultural icon of the twentieth century.

 
Sid's short and controversial life is profiled with interviews from Jah Wobble (childhood friend, founder PIL), Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees), David Vanian (The Damned), Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols Manager), Viv Albertine (Flatmate, The Slits), Ron Watts (100 Club), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Rat Scabies (The Damned), Caroline Coon (Writer and Artist), Vivienne Westwood (Sex Designer), Marco Pirroni (Adam & The Ants), John Tiberi (Sex Pistols Tour Manager), and many more of Sid's close friends.

Featuring previously unseen archive footage and filmed in HD, this new documentary provides the most definitive and intimate life story of the punk hero who truly lived his life with chaos and anarchy. Fuelled with a soundtrack of Sid's own music, this is the faithful telling of Sid's life story by those who really knew him.

 
In addition to the DVD documentary, this special collector's edition includes a 10 track CD of Sid live in New York's, and a biography booklet profile by best-selling music author Mark Paytress.

Er, there does appear to be at least one person missing from that roll call of true friends, but nevermind those rotten bollocks.

Check out the trailer to the film, below.

At Super 400's prodding, the legendary record cutting machine gets refurbished.

By Blurt Staff

Sure, it's just another press release. But it's kinda cool - the band Super 400, from Troy, NY, recently issued their latest album Sweet Fist (on Response/Rock Ridge), and this week they're also having it released as a double LP featuring cover art by no less than Klaus Voormann.

But there's an interesting story behind it the LP - it was cut on the original Stax Records lathe at Memphis' Ardent Studios, and it's the same machine that had cut vinyl masters for everyone from Al Green and Isaac Hayes to Led Zep and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Out of commission for 20 years, the lathe was cleaned up and repaired by Ardent after Super 400 charmed ‘em, and the idea was to cut Sweet Fist then put the lathe in the Stax Museum. But once word got out that the famous lathe was back in action, calls "poured into Ardent, booking the machine for months in advance, re-establishing a physical piece of American musical history back into the fold of modern recording."

That's some history, indeed.

Here's what the members of Super 400 had to say about all this:

"During our time at ardent, we listened eagerly to John Fry and Larry Nix tell us the magical tales of the 1960s and 70s recording sessions and how tight the bands became with producers and engineers, and how the whole Memphis scene was one big family, all sharing an obsessive love and joy of music.

 
"Larry still has the original card catalog from every album cut there - it's a magical library of memories for those guys, one that I was honored to get a close look at. Every EQ setting for every album is meticulously recorded - names like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Isaac Hayes, Big Star, Al Green, what a sight it was to get an inside look at Memphis recording history.

 
"The lathe is the machine that 'cuts' the sound to vinyl - this legendary piece of art lay inoperable in the Mastering room for years.  It was a star feature in the many Ardent studio tours, drawing many oohs and ahs from the passers-by, but Larry hadn't cut vinyl on it in quite some time. On many occasions during our sessions there, we hinted to John and Larry, not so subtly, that we'd be tickled pink to have the Sweet Fist record cut on the old Stax Lathe.

 
"Larry told us it wasn't possible, that he wasn't sure if the lathe was fixable, maybe they didn't make the parts anymore. We continued bugging him about it, enough so that he looked into the possibility of repair.  He still was unconvinced. On the last day of the Super 400 sessions, we sadly packed our gear into our trailer, and prepared to leave this magical place.  I knew I had to give it one last try. I went into Larry's office and told him how much our experience at Ardent touched us, that the stories he and John told us about the old days made us want so badly to have our own family-style memory, especially since the entire record was done at Ardent this far. Recording, mixing and mastering. He must have been feeling it too, because the next thing we knew, we were flying back down to Ardent to witness the cutting of the Sweet Fist record to vinyl, by Larry's own hands.
 

"To say we are proud of this achievement is no way to describe it. It just feels so right.  It was a great honor for us to make this record with the legends that became our friends. You can't beat that."

Multi-disc package culled from Macca's three-night run at Citi Field, site of the old Shea Stadium.

By Blurt Staff

Paul McCartney's historic three-night musical christening of New York's Citi Field, witnessed by 120,000-plus attendees and universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, will be immortalized November 17 when Hear Music/Concord Music Group releases "Good Evening New York City".  This momentous musical experience will be available in two formats: a 3-disc (2 CD + 1 DVD) standard edition and a 4-disc (2 CD + 2 DVD) deluxe version featuring expanded packaging and a bonus DVD including McCartney's traffic-stopping, headline-making July 15 performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee (including bonus numbers not aired on the Late Show with David Letterman broadcast). The set will also be made available in high quality vinyl. In any configuration, the 30+ songs and nearly 3 hours of music comprising "Good Evening New York City" are a must-have for attendees wishing to relive the July 17, 18 & 21 shows, those who couldn't get tickets and/or anyone interested in an audiovisual document of a living legend. "Good Evening New York City" marks McCartney's 2nd release for Hear Music. The first was 2007's highly acclaimed Memory Almost Full.  The standard version of "Good Evening New York City" will be available at participating Starbucks company-operated locations.

 
 As the inaugural musical event at Citi Field, the site of the former Shea Stadium, the July 2009 shows held special significance not only for McCartney but for generations of his fans. The shows were performed on the same hallowed ground that The Beatles, in 1965, played the 34-minute show that would set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show--and where in 2008 McCartney joined Billy Joel for the final rock show before the original stadium's demolition. As documented on "Good Evening New York City", "I'm Down" from the 1965 set list was revived for the Citi Field shows, albeit this time played through a PA that was not overpowered by screaming fans (though there were still several thousand who tried). Other highlights of  "Good Evening New York City" include faithful takes on Beatles classics "Drive My Car," "Got To Get You Into My Life," "The Long And Winding Road," "Blackbird," "Eleanor Rigby," "Back In The USSR," "Paperback Writer," "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "Helter Skelter" and more, plus "Something" rendered on ukulele gifted to Paul by George Harrison, and a tribute to John Lennon in the form of a medley of "A Day In The Life" and "Give Peace A Chance." Wings era chestnuts include "Band On The Run," "My Love," "Let Me Roll It" and the pyrotechnic tour de force of "Live And Let Die," while timeless McCartney solo material ranges from "Here Today" to the upbeat "Flaming Pie" and "Dance Tonight" to a pair of numbers from Electric Arguments, the 2008 album released under the alias of The Fireman.

The concert footage featured on "Good Evening New York City" standard edition features concert footage directed by Paul Becher, who has overseen live visuals for McCartney for some 200 performances and counting. The 33-song 2 hour 40 minute performances were shot in High Definition using 15 cameras and digital footage incorporated from 75 Flipcams handed out to fans over the course of the three night stand. The audio mix, in both stereo and 5.1, was handled by longtime McCartney engineer Paul Hicks, whose credits include the recent Beatles remasters, The Beatles Anthology, Let It Be...Naked, and two Grammy awards for his mixing work on the Beatles' Love album.

The deluxe edition bonus DVD will feature footage of McCartney's July 15 performance on the outdoor marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater, previously available only as a webcast on the Late Show with David Letterman website. The marquee set, which marked McCartney's return to the site of The Beatles U.S. television debut, generated front page headlines and literally stopped traffic as word of mouth generated a crowd that packed Broadway from Columbus Circle to Times Square.