phot by Christopher Nelson
- Pixies are the latest to cancel shows in Israel. A couple of weeks ago, Elvis Costello canceled his shows there, citing Israel’s poor treatment of the Palestinians. Now, the raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla has prompted Black Francis and company to call off would would be their first ever concert in Tel Aviv. Two other groups, Klaxons and the Gorillaz, have also canceled their scheduled performances.
- Think the avant garde artistry of either Lou Reed or Laurie Anderson is for the dogs? Well, it is now. The married duo are curating the Vivid Live festival in Sydney, and Anderson’s 20-minute, high-pitched opus Music for Dogs, debuted this past Saturday at the famed Sydney Opera House. Was it any good? You’d need dog ears to hear it!
- While most youngsters associate The Germs with god’s gift to Freudian slips, Pat Smear, there was a time when the band was punk’s most unruly and much beloved troublemakers. Rhino looks to take you back to the good (?) times with the release of Live at the Starwood: December 3, 1980, which chronicles the band’s final performance before Darby Crash’s heroin overdose ended the band. The live album is due June 22nd.
- Probably the last thing you’d expect in a mayor’s office is a painted portrait of Isaac Brock. But weirdly enough, Portland, OR, mayor Sam Adams now owns a portrait of the Modest Mouse frontman, entitled “Isaac Brock & the Seven Deadly Sins,” by Portland artist Alexander Rokoff. Here’s a video of Brock, Rokoff, and Mayor Adams unveiling the it to the public:
- Floored By Four, the latest supergroup, reunites Minuteman and Firehose vet Mike Watt with guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline (Cline was a member of Watt’s touring band during the late 90s and appeared on his solo album, Contemplating the Engine Room). The group is also joined by ex-Cibo Matto member Yuka Honda on keys and drummer Dougie Bowne. The band’s debut album is due in September and is t buy an instant buy for 90s kids.
- Have you been in need of a ...And You Will Know Us the Trail of Dead fix? Thanks to the Superball Music label and a bit of band ingenuity, you’ll get your wish. Trail of Dead has signed with the label and promise to have a new album ready by 2011.
- There are recesses of the indie mind that house illusions of grandeur. Such novel ideas of ‘what ifs’ and ‘what could bes’. It’s likely someone, somewhere has dreamed of a day when David Pajo would join forces with Interpol. That day has come in the absence of Carlos D. and the reshuffling of a tour in the face of Bono’s back surgery.
- Not much to recommend on the late night talk shows this week besides a few Sasquatch performers, a Norwegian duo, and some young upstarts from West Palm Beach:
Monday, June 7
Jimmy Fallon: Kings of Convenience
Tuesday, June 8
Carson Daly: Surfer Blood (R)
Wednesday, June 9
David Letterman: OK Go
Jimmy Kimmel: Massive Attack (R)Friday, June 11
Jimmy Kimmel: Miike Snow (R)
One Comment
It bears mentioning that the portrait of Isaac Brock was commissioned as part of a larger series of paintings of Portland’s indie musicians by Brian Wannamaker, founder of the Falcon Art Community, which is a very cool studio space with lots of great artists and musicians, like Storm Large, whose portrait is also in the series. You can see their website & more art by Alexander at http://www.falconartcommunity.com It is actually Wannamaker who owns the portrait. Sam Adams is just the lucky fellow who gets to have it in his office.