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Thursday News Threads

Zach, KEXP — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:30:31 +0000

Jay Reatard's cause of death has been determined

It has been revealed that Jay Reatard died a couple weeks ago of “cocaine toxicity, and that alcohol was a contributing factor in his death.” Stay away from the cocaine/alcohol combo, kids.

The Strokes are heading back to the studio to record a long-awaited follow-up to their 2006 record, “First Impressions of Earth.” They’re working with producer Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, Shins, My Morning Jacket) and say they plan to post “video vignettes” from the sessions on their website.

We missed this news when it was announced late last week, but The Pogues’ frontman Shane MacGowan has gathered some of his pals to cover Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell On You” in order to benefit Haiti emergency relief. Nick Cave, who’s covered the tune himself with The Birthday Party, joins Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and Johnny Depp (yes, that Johnny Depp) for what promises to be a world of experience crammed into one room. And a great way to aid an important cause!

#1 Billboard hit scorers, Vampire Weekend, just did La Blogotheque’s “Les Soirees de Poche” series, playing a 6-song acoustic set of new and old songs for a bunch of really excited French people. Check out the video below:

All around awesome/nutso singer/actor Tom Waits is apparently collaborating with In Bruges director Martin McDonagh on a new stage musical. I guess this isn’t a new thing for Waits, who also has co-written three other musicals for the stage: The Black Rider, Alice in Wonderland, and “Woyzeck. Whatevs. I’m down.

A great new local band called Ravenna Woods just put out a great new video [below] shot in a great local venue, taken from their great new album. Did I mention these guys are pretty great?

Frontman Jónsi Birgisson, frontman of popular KEXP band Sigur Rós is releasing his first solo album on April 6th called “Go.” He’ll be embarking on a tour that month, beginning in our beloved Pacific Northwest. He’ll play two shows in Vancouver, BC before hitting the Showbox SoDo here in Seattle on the 9th and 10th of April, followed by one night in Portland at the Roseland Theatre on 4/13.

new She & Him album cover

She & Him, made up of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, are releasing their second record, Volume Two, on March 23rd via Merge. In related news, Zooey is starring in and executive producing a half-hour HBO pilot based on famed rock follower Pamela Des Barres’ 1987 memoir, I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie.

THIS WEEK IN WTF: Steven Tyler is threatening to sue his bandmates if they make good on their promise to hire a new singer for their next tour. What’s most weird to me is that he wants to continue to write, record, and perform with the group, but is willing to totally alienate himself from them by handing them a lawsuit. Sounds like those drugs are working, Steven.

Monday News Mash-Up

Justin Spicer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:15:55 +0000

Is retirement the new version of fading away (burning out is so clichéd)? According to his website , former Dismemberment Plan frontman Travis Morrison is calling it day — with large, blackened letters spelling RETIRED! slowing scrolling and morphing at the top of his page. From the looks of it, he’s more concerned with making Facebook friends — maybe he’ll convince them his first solo album was better than some said it was.

Speaking of retirees, David Berman may have laid Silver Jews down to sleep last year in an effort to stoke his non-music creative flames, but he hasn’t disappeared into the social networking abyss. Rather, Berman just released The Portable February, a book of sketches, drawings, and cartoons.

Over the past five years or so, Sigur Ros vocalist Jonsi (Birgisson) has teamed up with his partner, Alex Somers, the artist behind much of the band’s graphic arts, under the guise Riceboy Sleeps to create visual art and now ambient music. The collaborators are about to release their self-titled debut album on XL and have made a song available for download:

Riceboy Sleeps - Boy 1904 (MP3)

The indie supergroup has become a staple of the current musical climate, and while a successful collaboration between the supposed best and brightest is often an uneven affair at best, the minds behind Risil hope to win you over with their blend of R&B, jazz, ambient, and drone. Formed by Scott Guillermo Herren, Zach Hill, Tyondai Braxton, John McEntire, Alejandra Deheza, and Eva Puyuelo Muns — the MEGAgroup has released its debut album, Non Meters Volume One via Important.

Have you ever wanted to know the ins and outs of touring? The Art of Touring, a book and DVD featuring the likes of Thurston Moore, Devendra Banhart, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs will document the tiring, blue collar affair in pictures, art, words, and live and backstage footage of a host of indie acts. The tome, out now through Yeti Publishing, will donate one-third of its proceeds to benefit Jazz Foundation of America.

While EELS may not be touring, at least fans can now content themselves with a brand new video, for “In My Dreams” from their latest, Hombre Lobo:

With the summer heat setting in, new releases are beginning to trickle down like beads of sweat through the cracks of the lawn chair. Danish phenomena Slaraffenland will release We’re On Your Side September 15th through Hometapes. The Black Heart Procession readies Six, for an October 6th unveiling — the band’s Temporary Residence debut. Arts & Crafts will be releasing the fourth album from The Hidden Cameras, titled Origin: Orphan which drops September 22nd.

The talkshow circuit is still a bit slow this week, but a few performances are sure to top your DVR viewing list: Conor Oberst, Death Cab for Cutie, Andrew Bird, and Ray LaMontagne. If you didn’t see Delta Spirit’s performance on Last Call a few months ago, you’ve got to catch it this time around. Also, Playing For Change is a fascinating project that records artists all around the world singing the same songs. Don’t miss them on Conan Thursday night. Here are the highlights:

Monday, July 6

David Letterman: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
Conan O’Brien: Death Cab for Cutie
Jimmy Fallon: The Lonely Island (R 5/12/09)

Tuesday, July 7

Conan O’Brien: Andrew Bird
Last Call: Patton Oswalt, M83 (R 3/11/09)
Jimmy Kimmel: Ben Harper (R 6/18/09)

Wednesday, July 8

Jimmy Fallon: Amadou & Mariam (R 6/8/09)
Last Call: Delta Spirit (R 3/12/09)

Thursday, July 9

David Letterman: Levon Helm
Conan O’Brien: Playing For Change

Friday, July 10

Conan O’Brien: Ray LaMontagne
Jimmy Fallon: Mos Def (R 6/9/09)

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!

Since there are no new live performances on the late night talk shows this week, it’s a good time to get caught up on some you may have missed. Don’t miss these again:

Monday, June 29

David Letterman: Steve Earle (R 6/3/09)
Jimmy Fallon: Yeah Yeah Yeahs (R 4/15/09)

Tuesday, June 30

Take the night off

Wednesday, July 1

Conan O’Brien: Taj Mahal (R 6/9/09)
Last Call: Little Boots (R 3/4/09)

Thursday, July 2

David Letterman: PJ Harvey and John Parish (R 6/12/09)
Conan O’Brien: Neko Case (R 6/11/09)
Jimmy Kimmel: Phoenix (R 6/26/09)

Friday, July 3

Jimmy Fallon: Keane (R 5/26/09)
Last Call: N.A.S.A. (R 3/6/09)
Jimmy Kimmel: Bat For Lashes (R 6/24/09)

Thursday News Threads

Eric, KEXP — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:15:47 +0000

In case you missed it, the shortlist for the 33 1/3 series was revealed over the weekend and reactions have been far from positive. As Prefix Mag points out, much of the list — including albums from AC/DC, The Beatles, Bowie, etc. — is comprised of bands that have had titles in the series before or are included more for their commercial potential than anything else. But in the end, it really comes down to what the author has to say about the chosen artist/album.

Bumbershoot, Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival, just revealed a partial lineup for this year’s Labor Day weekend event. Among those announced so far: Sheryl Crow, Modest Mouse, Katy Perry, Michael Franti & Spearhead, De La Soul, Raphael Saadiq, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, The Long Winters, World Party, MSTRKRFT, No Age, Matt & Kim, Dead Confederate, The Cave Singers, Gang Gang Dance, Holy Fuck, DJ Spooky, Sera Cahoone, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Extra Golden, and Hey Marseilles. Most interesting so far? A poetry reading curated by Spencer Moody of the Murder City Devils.

Consider yourself busy on Friday, April 10 — that is if you want the opportunity to be a part of the dying entity Billy Corgan still calls the Smashing Pumpkins. That’s right, Corgan put an audition invite on the band’s website the other day. The spectacle alone might be worth the trip to LA.

Last week, the Stranger’s Line Out spread the rumor that Sonic Youth may be headlining this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party. The rumor was seconded and added to the other night when KEXP’s own Marco Collins hinted that Sonic Youth would be joined at CHBP by The Jesus Lizard. Don’t let the fest’s extreme crowding keep you away from this one.

According to Pitchfork, the long-talked-about collaboration between Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse has come into existence. The record, coming sometime this summer and titled Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse Present Dark Night of the Soul, is slated to include contributions from members of The Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals, and The Strokes, as well as James Mercer, Nina Persson and others. Hell, just for kicks, David Lynch is going to help out. For the record, this was not originally reported on April Fool’s Day.

Speaking of April Fool’s Day, my personal favorite from this year is Sigur Ros claiming to be working with Coldplay on their upcoming record. They even went so far as to record a short-but-sweet video. Music Slut has the story here.

Our friends at the Netherlands label Subroutine Records (home of AC Berkheimer, Vox Von Braun, and others) have just posted a video for “Carla” by The Very Sexuals (which we’ve podcast before). Check it out and head over to the band’s website to download their debut album, Post Apocalyptic Love, for free.

Monday News Mash-Up

Justin Spicer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:15:10 +0000

The rumors of a Leslie Feist appearance on the upcoming Wilco album are true! The Chicago ruffians confirmed the Canadian belle duets with Tweedy on the track “You and I” from the as-yet-titled Wilco release slated for later this year. Now if only the album steers clear of the sleepiness of Sky Blue Sky, we’ll be truly ecstatic.

It’s no secret New York City has all the musical luck and it’s no different come May 8th when Bjork and Dirty Projectors combine talents for Housing Works, an organization that deals with homelessness and the AIDS epidemic.

Pioneer of off-the-cuff live music video sessions, La Blogoteque, continues to outdo itself, this time with an amazing performance from Sigur Ros:

Use up your iTunes giftcards as quickly as you can. Come April 7th, prices for hit singles and in-demand tracks (A.K.A. the most downloaded) will raise from the standard 99 cents to new price point $1.29, reports The King of A&R. Enjoy buying 3 tracks for the price of 4!

Though the RIAA had promised to back off of suing individuals who illegally download their most coveted (i.e. money making) releases, it seems old habits die hard. According to Ars Technica, the oh-so out of touch institution is still brings about lawsuits in the hopes of reaping settlements from the damned. The catch is these new cases are, in actuality, old lawsuits just being brought up thanks to a backlog of ISP addresses just now being matched to owners — in other words, the RIAA have abandoned new suits but still can’t wait to decipher all those old ISPs to collect your money just because you dig a little Poison.

A slight name change and a lengthy North American tour have yet to slow down Santigold (née Santogold). The new lady on the block is a hot commodity, working on vocal tracks on upcoming releases from the Beastie Boys and David Byrne.

Animated supergroup Gorillaz’s long-awaited Bananaz is set for a theatrical and DVD release in June. Babelgum (has anyone ever heard of this site?), however, scores the glory of premiering the 2007 documentary beginning April 20th. The website will stream the film for four weeks. Here’s the trailer:

Here are the highlights of the talk shows this week. Be extra sure to set your DVR for Phoenix’s upcoming appearance on SNL — the new album is going to be hot!
Monday, March 30

Jimmy Fallon: Glasvegas

Tuesday, March 31

David Letterman: Marianne Faithfull
Jimmy Fallon: Gomez

Wednesday, April 1

David Letterman: Ray LaMontagne
Jimmy Fallon: Stevie Nicks

Thursday, April 2

Jimmy Fallon: Dr. Dog

Friday, April 3

Jimmy Fallon: Cold War Kids
Jimmy Kimmel: Lily Allen

Saturday, April 4

Saturday Night Live: Phoenix