Williams pays homage to Todd on "Rarity" from Little Honey.

By Matthew Recchia

On Gea, Mia Doi Todd's newest album, the singer-songwriter taps into her expressionist and idealistic side to bring the audience her most sensitive and passionate album yet. She probably didn't anticipate the affect it would have on Lucinda Williams.

In an interview with Newsday, Williams said that "Rarity" from her new album Little Honey (Lost Highway) was written for Todd, her fellow L.A. based singer-songwriter. "I was just really impressed with her-how poetic her songs were, how sophisticated her writing was, the beauty of her voice."

Dealing with the destructive forces that surround a "lover of life," Todd's lyrics show hints of the desperation and hopelessness that follow a vulnerable, helpless romantic. From the opening strums of Todd's guitar, the album flows beautifully, accompanied by the beats of Andres Renteria's hand drums and thumping bass lines from Joshua Abrams. Instrumentalist/composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson also helps out by contributing the sounds of woodwinds, brass, and string arrangements to add a mystical and organic element to the album

The future looks bright for this relentless romantic, who is off the road after an exhausting US tour that saw her perform twenty-seven times in a span of thirty three days.

To listen to Mia or find information on upcoming performances, check out her Myspace page or website.

Mysterious Wilson will sign copies of That Lucky Old Sun in Nashville, Ann Arbor, Boston and NYC.  

By Blurt Staff

To promote his new album That Lucky Old Sun, erstwhile Beach Boy and mysterious musical figure Brian Wilson will do in-store signings in four U.S. cities in November while on tour. Wilson will autograph copies of the album as well as “one additional flat item” at each event.

The first will be at Grimey’s in Nashville on Nov. 9, followed by sessions in Ann Arbor, MI (Borders, Nov. 12), Boston, MA (Newbury Comics, Nov. 19) and finally New York City (J&R Music, Nov. 21). The press release notes these are the confirmed dates, which may or may not mean there will be others.

For more information about Brian Wilson and his upcoming tour, please visit www.brianwilson.com.

CONFIRMED AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS:

Nov. 9   (1pm)                Nashville, TN                 Grimey’s (1604 8th Avenue South)

Nov. 12 (12:30pm)          Ann Arbor, MI                Borders (612 East Liberty)

Nov. 19 (12pm)              Boston, MA                   Newbury Comics (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)

Nov. 21 (12pm)              New York, NY                J&R Music (23 Park Row)

TOUR DATES:  

Nov 10    Nashville, TN            Ryman Auditorium

Nov 12    Ann Arbor, MI           Michigan Theater

Nov 13    South Bend, IN         Morris Performing Arts Center

Nov 15    Minneapolis, MN       State Theater

Nov 16    Chicago, IL               Chicago Theatre

Nov 18    Washington, DC      Warner Theater

Nov 19    Boston, MA              Orpheum Theatre

Nov 21    New York, NY           Hammerstein Ballroom

Nov 22    Glenside, PA            Keswick Theater

Nov 23    Montclair, NJ            Wellmont Theatre

Nov 25    Westbury, NY          Westbury Theater

Three songs from Modern Silence coming via music blogs. First one’s up.

By Matthew Recchia

Although Casper & the Cookies third album, Modern Silence, is due to hit shelves anytime between now and the end of the year, the band has decided to release three exclusive tracks online to the public early. Each week in October, the band will release a new track on different sites to promote their new album.

Modern Silence has been nine months in the making, and comes almost two years after the band’s previous album, The Optimist’s Club. As for the origin of the name of the album, Jason NeSmith explains it as “a phrase that evokes a number of themes. We used most of them: awkward long distance phone calls, language barriers, social anxiety, absence (or a general lack of presence), a sudden numbing realization that one can no longer think of oneself as a good person, extraterrestrial friendship, and of course jazz-mime.”

Relaxing after a tour of Japan, the band plans to hit the road again in 2009 to support Modern Silence.

The exclusive tracks and release dates are listed below, along with where you can find them.

10/10: Three Imaginary Girls (www.threeimaginarygirls.com)

10/17: Optical Atlas (www.opticalatlas.com)

10/24: You Ain't No Picasso (www.youaintnopicasso.com)

Two acts will play together in more ways than one.

By Blurt Staff

Brooklyn-based folkies Ollabelle and ex-pat singer-songwriter Richard Shindell will unite for an East Coast tour in November. They’re not just touring together: On the six-date tour, which his New York, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, they’ll play together onstage, on one another’s songs as well as surprise covers. Dates:

November 12 Le Poisson Rouge (New York City, NY)

November 13 The Barns at Wolftrap (Vienna, VA)

November 14 Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown, NY)

November 19 The Ram’s Head (Annapolis, MD)

November 20 World Café Live (Philadelphia, PA)

November 22 IMAC Theater(Huntington, NY)

ABOUT RICHARD SHINDELL:

An expatriate New Yorker now living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Richard Shindell is a meticulous craftsman of song whose six studio albums and one live recording have been revered by critics and fans alike. Innovative, original and occasionally spiritual, Shindell’s songs weave tales that interchangeably champion the downtrodden, exalt the disaffected or wax empathetic to those lost to society’s fringes. He is also recognized for his astonishing collection of cover songs, South of Delia, and his participation in the multi-artist project Cry Cry Cry.

ABOUT OLLABELLE:

Ollabelle was formed in the East Village as a weekly gospel jam session. Since recording their debut album in 2004, the band has toured the world with their incredible blend of roots music and gospel, sharing stages with everyone from Diana Krall to Alison Krauss to Donald Fagen and Levon Helm. Their latest release, Before This Time (Yep Roc), is a live recording that showcases the bands interpretive skills at their most powerful.

Band makes election season song available free at EverclearOnline.com

By Blurt Staff

Republicans like to claim Jesus is their homeboy, but he and his teachings are true blue. Art Alexakis addresses the misconception and resultant hypocrisy with the free track “Jesus Was a Democrat,” available at www.everclearonline.com. Or listen below.

From the press release: “Everclear debuted the song at the 2008 GRAMMY®s Rock The Conventions show in Denver this August and it left the audience stunned, particularly with an opening salvo like ‘Jesus Christ didn’t have blue eyes or blond hair/He looked just like all those people that you want to kill’ About dropping this charge at the Democratic National Convention, singer, guitarist and songwriter Art Alexakis exclaims, ‘People looked shocked and excited at the lyrics in a good way.’ A little sonic ‘shock and awe’ never hurt anyone, especially before an election.”

“I've wanted to write this song for a long time,” says Alexakis.” “During the 1988 presidential campaign, the right wing made people believe that 'liberals' were anti-American, anti-God and anti-family values. However, if you read Jesus' words, he sounded like a liberal.

“I hope the song can start a dialogue in places where there wasn't one before. I--like a lot of people who consider themselves Christians--get angry and bewildered at the intolerance of so many people who call themselves ‘Christians.' They act and talk in ways that have nothing to do with the lessons of Christ. Look, sexism, racism, bigotry, and hate don't have any place in a Christian's life.

“I think it's imperative that we elect Barack Obama. His election will be a message to the whole world that in today's America anyone can achieve their dreams, regardless of race, gender or economic strata.”

Everclear - "Jesus Was a Democrat"

Full lyrics:

Jesus Christ didn’t have blue eyes or blond hair

He looked just like all those people that you want to kill

Spin your hell into a heaven you can sell

Make it look like California with a bible belt

Jesus didn’t look like the boy next door

Unless you live in Palestine

I wonder what you mean by the golden rule

I think it is a scary play on words

I wonder what they taught you back in Sunday school

I bet you think of him

As a nice clean long haired republican, nah

He would be all locked up in Guantanamo Bay

If he were alive today

He would have been a revolutionary wanted by the CIA

I picture him in all the wrong places finding diamonds in the dirt

A Star of David tattoo and a Che T-shirt

Jesus was a left wing radical Jew

Murdered by people like you

If Jesus was a democrat like the bible says he was

I don't think he's going to want to take the blame

For all the awful things you say and do in his name

If Jesus was alive today he would be sad to see

That it is no different than it used to be

He's going to call you out

I am pretty god damned sure

He is going to be angry

He is going to be angry

You want to know what I think?

I think Jesus would have been a card carrying liberal

If he was a young man born in the USA

He would not be "fiscally conservative"

And he wouldn't vote for John McCain

All those so called Christians that you see on TV

Maybe they scare Jesus like they scare me

Kick you the hell out of my temple too

Too many elephants in the room

If Jesus was a democrat like the bible says he was

I don't think he's going to want to take the blame

For all the awful things you people do and say in his name

If Jesus was alive today he would be sad to see

That it is no different than it used to be

Someday he's going to call you out

I am pretty god damned sure

He is going to be mad

He is going to be angry

He is going to be mad

He is going to be mad

You say Jesus loves the little children

And I say I know that's true

I say he loves all the Muslims and the Jews

All the addicts and the porn stars too

You say Jesus died to save us all from a fiery hell

I say Jesus died to save us

Save us from ourselves

Will you save me from myself?

If Jesus was a liberal

Like the red letters say he was

I know he would have big love

For all the killers and the racists

And the bullies in this world

If Jesus was alive today

And you had a chance to meet him face to face

I'm pretty god damn sure that you and your friends

Would find some way to kill him all over again

You would kill him all over again

Again and again and again

Just like you always do

You do just what you always do

Romweber acts in Lake City, Duo Plays CMJ, Tours. New album in February.

By Blurt Staff

Flat Duo Jets founder Dexter Romweber is acting in Lake City alongside Sissy Spacek, Keith Carradine, Rebecca Romjin, Troy Garity and Drea de Matteo. Romweber plays Frank, the guitarist in Keith Carradine’s band, which also includes Dave Matthews. We smell a supergroup!

From the press release: “In the film, Rebecca Romijn plays a small-town cop romantically involved with Troy Garity's character, who reunites with his estranged mother (Sissy Spacek) when deadly circumstances threaten their home. Directed by Perry Moore, known for his work on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the With and the Wardrobe, the film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, 2008.”

“It was very different being in a movie, then playing music, but the waiting around to perform was the same,” says Romweber. “All the cast and crew were very helpful to me. Keith Carradine was a true gentleman and Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity (Jane Fonda's son) were very nice. As I've never acted before, Perry Moore the director was ever encouraging. Would I do it again? Yes, of course!” 

Romweber also gets props from Jack White in a new documentary called It Might Get Loud, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September. It “chronicles the artistic process and influences of guitar superstars Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White,” with the latter calling Romweber a “huge influence.” The soundtrack, released earlier this year, includes live and recorded tracks from Flat Duo Jets.

Romweber’s other celluloid credits are the 1987 cult classic Athens, GA-Inside/Out and Two-Headed Cow, a documentary about his career.

After wrapping Lake City, the Dex Romweber Duo signed with Bloodshot Records. The just-completed new album is produced by producer John Plymale (Meat Puppets, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Corrosion Of Conformity) and features Cat Power, Neko Case, Exene Cervenka and Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids. Look for it in February. The DRD will also play two shows at CMJ in NYC on Oct. 25: a Bloodshot Records Party (with Justin Townes Earle, Ben Weaver, Cordero and more) and an evening show with Los Straitjackets. The band will tour the East Coast through Nov. 22.

For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/dexterromweberduo

Dexter Romweber Duo EPK:

TOUR DATES:

Thu       October 23        Washington, DC            The Red and the Black                          

Fri        October 24        Linfield, PA                    Railroad Street                          

Sat       October 25        Brooklyn, NY                 Union Pool - Bloodshot CMJ Showcase (day show)                                  

Sat       October 25        Brooklyn, NY                 Southpaw          (night show)                  

Sun      October 26        Boston, MA                   Abbey Lounge                           

Wed     October 29        Hoboken, NJ                  Maxwell's                                 

Thu       October 30        Richmond, VA               The Triple                                 

Fri        October 31        Winston-Salem, NC       The Garage                              

Thu       November 6       Athens, OH                  Casa Nueva                              

Fri        November 7       Baltimore, MD               Dangerously Delicious Pies                                

Sat       November 8       Milton, DE                     Dogfish Head                            

Sat       November 22     Norfolk, VA                    Tap House

Rage Against the Machine guitarist—a.k.a. The Nightwatchman—to play acoustic and electric sets on tour for The Fabled City. Appears on

By Randy Harward

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will be on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson tonight, performing "Whatever It Takes" with Flea on bass. He's also hittin' the road to support his solo album The Fabled City, which came out Sept. 30. The tour starts Nov. 1 in at The Fillmore in San Francisco through Dec. 12 at the Anaheim House of Blues. More dates will be announced.

The Fabled City is the first album to bear Morello’s birth name as opposed to his alias The Nightwatchman. It’s also the first to feature both the protest-folkie acoustic material he recorded as The Nightwatchman and the manic, bounding electric rock material for which he’s best known. System of a Down’s Serj Tankian and outlaw country scion Shooter Jennings make appearances on the record. On tour, Morello will play an acoustic set and full-band electric show. Boots Riley (The Coup) will open all the shows. Michael Franti will appear on the Philly date.

“I want to start off with the darker acoustic songs and then build to some of the wildest electric guitar playing I have ever unleashed on stage in my career,” says Morello. “The idea is half Dylan/half Hendrix. I have been practicing my ass off and can’t wait to rock.”

The Nov. 3 show in Seattle will be with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready's band Shadow '86 and Stone Gossard with the Hank Khoir to promote voter participation. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Oct. 11.  

THE FABLED CITY TOUR * More dates to be announced:

11/1 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore

11/2 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom

11/3 Seattle, WA Showbox Theatre ** Get Out The Vote Show w/ Members of Pearl Jam

11/5 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom

11/7 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot

11/8 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen

11/9 Boulder, CO Fox Theater

11/11 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Caf�

11/12 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom

11/13 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue

11/15 Detroit, MI Majestic Theater

11/16 Toronto, ONT Opera House

11/17 Boston, MA Middle East

11/19 Baltimore, MD Sonar

11/20 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory

11/21 New York, NY The Fillmore NY at Irving Plaza

12/9 Los Angeles, CA El Rey

12/11 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up

12/12 Anaheim, CA House of Blues

http://www.Nightwatchmanmusic.com or http://myspace.com/thenightwatchman

Three-day tour to feature Tenacious D, Ben Harper, Santogold, Jack Johnson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Sheryl Crow.

By Matthew Recchia

The Beastie Boys have announced a three-day US tour to help encourage people to vote in the upcoming election.

Although the band has supported Barack Obama throughout his campaign, they say this string of show's purpose is to make everyone aware of how important the upcoming election is and encourage everyone in the music community to show up and vote on November 4th. 

The Beastie Boys tour kicks off in Richmond, VA on October 28, where they will be joined by Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson, and Santogold.

Tour Dates:

October 28 - Richmond VA - Joined by Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson, and Santogold

November 1 - St. Paul, MN - Joined by Ben Harper and Tenacious D

November 2 - Milwaukee, WI - Joined by Ben Harper, Tenacious D, and David Crosby with Graham Nash.

With the clip for “Another World,” Antony relies on interpretive dance.

By Blurt Staff

Antony and the Johnsons first teased fans with an abstract 1:22 clip of “Another World,” the title track of their forthcoming EP, released October 7 on Secretly Canadian. That Colin Whitaker-lensed video was simply flowers in and out of focus—an appropriately spare visual to accompany Antony's longing, plaintive song. The actual video is all about interpretive dance around a painting. In a way, just as bare bones, only longer... and nonetheless apropos of something. That is, it's artsy-fartsy, makes you sleepy, but still communicates the hypnotic sadness Antony conveys with his song and his Leonard Cohen-Boy George warble.

Here's the official word on the song: On "Another World", Antony lists things he treasures about the natural world, and expresses that he will miss them; the result is hypnotic and affecting, with the accompanying video reflecting the song’s theme.

The five-song Another World is a stopgap between Antony’s Mercury Prize-winning 2005 album I Am A Bird Now and the follow-up, The Crying Light, due in January. Among the EP tracks are “Shake That Devil,” called “part exorcism and part Shangri-La [in which] Antony calls out perpetrators and banishes them one-by-one.” Two more songs, “Crackagen” and “Sing For Me” are described as “pastoral and surreal,” while “Hope Mountain” closes the EP in epic fashion as “an episodic narrative set after a flood; people gather on a mountainside to witness a girl walking on the water.”

Another World tracklist:

1. Another World

2. Crackagen

3. Shake That Devil

4. Sing For Me

5. Hope Mountain

Antony and the Johnsons on Tour:

10/14   Walt Disney Concert Hall        Los Angeles, CA

10/16   Apollo Theatre                         New York, NY

10/30   The Barbican                            London, ENG

10/31   The Barbican                            London, ENG

These and “many more” appear on duo’s debut.

By Blurt Staff

The debut release from N.A.S.A. (North America/South America)—Squeak E. Clean (producer/DJ Sam Spiegel, who has worked with Ben Lee and Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and DJ Zegon—will come out on Anti- on February 17, 2009. No ordinary debut, it’ll feature a gaggle of guest appearances from N.A.S.A.’s “”friends, friends of friends and musical heroes,” both living and dead.

From the press release: “While N.A.S.A. stands for North America/South America and contains a number of superstar artists from both coasts of the US, it is about as far from a tension-building geographical showdown as a record can get. Rather, The Spirit of Apollo was born with the righteous goal of bringing people together through music and art, and that is exactly what masterminds Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon have done.”

Among the artists contributing to the 18-track release will be Tom Waits, Kool Keith, Karen O and Nick Zinner, M.I.A., Ol’ Dirty Bastard, David Byrne, George Clinton, Santogold, Kanye West, Chali 2na, Method Man, and Chuck D. “In spite of the range of performers, the pairings seem organic, inspired and make perfect sense on the first listen, never coming off as ironic or impulsive.

“That passion and appreciation for music is the driving force behind The Spirit of Apollo.  Conceived in a crowded party in Sao Paulo and nurtured by a shared love of vintage Brazilian soul and funk records, N.A.S.A. was born when Spiegel and Gonzales got together in a studio and hit record. Five years later, after thousands of miles traveled, many favors called in, countless hours spent in recording studios, bartered, traded and out of pocket, N.A.S.A. landed at Anti- Records…”

N.A.S.A. will play live to support the release, and the show will include dancers, visual effects, art installations and special guests. More announcements are promised “as this album turns into a multi-media extravaganza with the help of more friends, this time from the art world.”

N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo track list:

1. "Intro"

2. “The People Tree” (feat. David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab, & Z-Trip)

3. “Money” (feat. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, & Z-Trip)

4. “NASA Music” (feat. Method Man, E-40, & DJ Swamp)

5. “Way Down” (feat. RZA, Barbie Hatch, & John Frusciante)

6. “Hip Hop” (feat. KRS-One, Fatlip, & Slim Kid Tre)

7. "Four Rooms, Earth View"

8. “Strange Enough” (feat. Karen O, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, & Fatlip)

9. “Spacious Thoughts” (feat. Tom Waits & Kool Keith)

10.  “Gifted” (feat. Kanye West and others TBD)

11. “A Volta” (feat. Sizzla, Amanda Blank, & Lovefoxxx)

12. “There’s a Party” (feat. George Clinton & Chali 2na)

13. “Whachadoin?” (feat. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold & Nick Zinner)

14. “O Pato” (feat. Kool Kojak & DJ Bãboa)

15. “Samba Soul” (feat. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & DJ Qbert)

16. “The Mayor” (feat. The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, DJ AM & Scarface)

17. “N.A.S.A. Anthem”

ABOUT SQUEAK E. CLEAN:  Sam Spiegel is a composer, producer, DJ and remixer.   Sam has spun all over the World – from award shows and clubs to premieres and parties and fashion shows in Japan, Brazil, Morocco, Canada, Australia, England and all over the US. Spiegel frequently collaborates with his brother, filmmaker Spike Jonze.  Notably, he scored and compiled the soundtrack for the Jonze-directed cult classic “Yeah Right!” (the top-selling skateboard movie of all time), and the two worked together with Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on an Adidas commercial that won the Gold Lion for Best Music at the 2005 Cannes International Advertising Festival and Silver for Original Music at the 2006 Clio Awards. While Spiegel has produced and remixed tracks for Maroon 5, Iggy Pop, Kylie Minogue, the Eels, Ben Lee, the Cardigans and many more, 2006 marked the first Squeak E. Clean fully-produced album.  Show Your Bones, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sophomore record, was named "Album of the Year" by the likes of Rolling Stone, NME, and Spin, and was nominated for a Grammy for best alternative album.

ABOUT DJ ZEGON: A professional skateboarder who has evolved into one of the most sought after, cutting-edge DJs in Latin America, Ze Gonzales has carved out his own musical niche that marries traditional Brazilian beats with underground hip hop, creating a sound and vibe that places Zegon in a class all his own. Recently, Ze spent two years in Los Angeles working with longtime friend - and fellow Brazilian -- Mario C, the producer and engineer behind such artists as Beastie Boys, Tone Loc, Young MC and Bjork.