Monday News Mash-Up

Justin Spicer — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:15:14 +0000

In the sorrow caused by the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett, many missed the passing of Sky Saxon, a member of the The Seeds as well as Source Family — the group associated with spiritual leader and folk mystery Father YaHoWha. L.A. Record has a wonderful eulogy from current Wilco fixture and friend of Saxon, Nels Cline.

As rumors of a lengthy Blur reunion persist, the group stokes the flames with the announcement of the release of limited edition recordings of the band’s upcoming July 2nd and 3rd Hyde Park shows in London. You can pre-order the 2xCD sets or MP3s but be prepared to give up a few pounds (in currency, not in weight though it’d be a marvelous diet).

Sigur Ros is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Icelandic release of Agaetis Byrjun by making available two exclusive live performances from the album’s original launch party concert at the Icelandic Opera House on June 10, 1999. You can signup for the their mailing list and download “Hafssol” and you can watch video of “Nyja Lagid” right here:

Yoko Ono will release Between My Head and the Sky September 22nd. The album will feature son, Sean Lennon, as well as the talents of Yuka Honda and Cornelius.

Amy Milan, better known as the lovely female chanteuse of Stars, is readying her second solo album, Masters of the Burial, for a September 8th release date. The follow-up to Honey from the Tombs will feature a guest appearance from Feist (she’s everywhere!) and a cover of Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”

Billboard announced this week that the cause of Jay Bennett’s death was an accidental overdose of fentanyl. The pain killer is prescribed to alleviate chronic pain. It was widely discussed that Jay was awaiting a hip surgery before his May 24th death.

Forget the Night Ahead is the title of the upcoming LP by The Twilight Sad LP, due in late September. The band is already offering up the first single for download:

The Twilight Sad - Reflection of the Television (MP3)

Local doom behemoths sunn O))) have the West Coast in their sites with a planned tour that kicks off with a two-night stand at Neumos August 5th and 6th.

While Seattle gears up for Bumbershoot, our friendly neighbors to the south in Portland are readying their annual blowout, Music Fest Northwest. The September 16th-19th festival announced its line-up this week, which finds the newly reunited Sunny Day Real Estate at the top of an eccentric list that includes Girl Talk, Mudhoney, Explosions in the Sky, Bad Brains, and a list too long to reproduce in this space. That’s why clickable links were invented. Look for KEXP broadcasting from MFNW once again!

Justin Spicer — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:45:58 +0000

In very sad news, Jay Bennet has passed away. The former member of Wilco reportedly died in his sleep yesterday of unknown causes. Bennet, 45, was a founding member of Wilco, whose not-so-amicable split from the band was documented in Sam Jones’ I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. (He later sued Wilco for failure to pay royalties for his appearance in the film.) Bennett was a sought-after session musician, solo artist, and mentor to artists like rising artists David Vandervelde. His contributions to music will sorely be missed.

Did you backlash against or embrace the pop career of Scarlett Johansson? No matter your reaction, Johansson’s tribute to Tom Waits, Anywhere I Lay My Head, has turned out to be just the beginning of her interesting musical ventures. Break Up, due September 8th, will find the Scarlett one being joined by Pete Yorn, as the duo run through 8 originals and 1 cover, all inspired by the duets of Serge Gainsbourg and Bridgette Bardot. The album’s first single, “Relator,” can be heard via the Break Up website.

In case you aren’t hip to the No Fun Fest happenings of last weekend, let us summarize: a lot of awesome avant, experimental, and noise bands barnstormed Brooklyn for the weekend — and unfortunately a greedy thief barnstormed the touring van of [Joe] Raglani and Emeralds member Steve Hauschildt. The theft put Raglani under a rock buried beneath a hard place, causing him to head home to St. Louis and cut short what was to be the beginning of his new career of being a constant touring act. If you want to help and or buy some great music from an up and coming artist, visit Raglani’s MySpace page and message the man.

Boston plays host to the new Split/Signal festival this Saturday (May 30th). Featuring The Books, Cul De Sac, and Roger Miller among the 8 performers, the fest will blend the music of these artists with original silent films and videos.

Print media continues to go the way of the dinosaur, with music-related publications reaching extinction quickly. The next to suffer a painful demise: Plan B. The magazine confirmed rumors of their ending via message board. The last issue will hit newsstands June 1st.

Despite being bumped by Letterman earlier in the week, Grizzly Bear remain undeterred, as evident by the recent premiere of the video for “Two Weeks.”

An Anacortes tradition will return once more, as What The Heck Fest invades the sleepy port town. Known for promoting camping and diversity, the festival will once again feature a cornucopia of musical acts — many no strangers to life in the Pacific Northwest. Some of the acts confirmed for the July 17th-19th weekend: Earth, Kimya Dawson, D+, Grouper, and No Kids. Yep — eclectic.

The KEXP Blog » Jay Bennett