18
Mar
2003
· Fans of the defunct Smoking Popes are treated to a double scoop of power-pop memories this Tuesday when Double Zero Records, owned by founding drummer Mike Felumlee, releases two separate CDs saluting the band's Windy City reign.
First up is The Party's Over, the band's final studio album, getting its first sunlight since its completion in 1998, when it was shelved at the end of the band's Capitol Records affiliation. Smart and fresh, the CD pines through perfect standards by Rodgers & Hart, Burt Bacharach, Patsy Cline, The Byrds, Willie Nelson, Judy Garland, and - dig this - "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel. Just as perfect is its sister release, a tribute CD to themselves, simply entitled, well, Tribute. Thirteen friends and admirers offer up their takes on Smoking Popes originals, with contributions from Bad Astronaut, The Ataris, Junction 18, and Grade. In an interesting twist, Duvall, the new project from fellow founders Josh and Eli Caterer, takes a try at the former band's song "Do Something."
· Cover song alert! The Polyvinyl imprint has just released a white-vinyl split single, with Mates of State covering Jackson Browne's "These Days," and Dear Nora's terrific hand at Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." Also a colored-vinyl release is "Big Black Witchcraft," the new single from The Cramps, a teaser from the group's upcoming Fiends of Dope Island album. The flip side is a treat: a "hackin' and wackin' and smackin'" cover of Roy Brown's murderous cult classic "Butcher Pete" from 1950.
· Highbrow alert! This Tuesday the Astralwerks and Tre Storie Western labels team up to release an album of new, original music from electronic superstars Air in an intriguing spoken-word landscape. Entitled City Reading, the project teams the French duo with Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, reading from his best-selling novel City.
· My pick of the week is One Man Submarine, a stunning indie gem from Eugene, Oregon, singer/songwriter Dan Jones on the Leisure King label. More open sky and underwater than just "Americana," this sophomore release from a late-blooming master songwriter is blissfully washed in fragile acoustic and jangle-pop guitars, building and leaning, cutting loose with punk-rock riffs, and, when you least expect it, roaring walls of humming waves. Deliciously melding influences such as Roger Miller, Lou Reed, Husker Du, The Meat Puppets, and Steve Earle, Jones' wit and chops are electric, haunting, spontaneous, and fun. The quieter moments are reminiscent of Peter Holsapple's and Chris Stamey's Mavericks album. Well worth searching for.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Nelly on Thursday, Shania Twain on Friday, and Sean Paul on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Lou Reed on Thursday, Cat Power on Monday, and The D4 on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features Mark Knopfler this evening overnight, The Other Ones on Thursday overnight, Ja Rule on Friday overnight, and Ringo Starr on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn gets weird with Slobberbone on Thursday overnight and The Used on Friday overnight; and Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with 50 Cent on Friday overnight and Unwritten Law on Monday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 25:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
The Adventures of Jet - Muscle (Suburban Home) new Dallas three-piece power pop, formerly known as Bobgoblin
AFI - Sing the Sorrow (DreamWorks) with producers Butch Vig and Jerry Finn
Appliance - Are You Earthed? (Mute)
Joan Armatrading - Lover's Speak (Denon) all new
Boomkat - Boomkatalog One (DreamWorks)
Rosanne Cash - Rules of Travel (Capitol) with guests Jakob Dylan, Steve Earle, and Sheryl Crow
Caustic Resin - Keep On Truckin' (Up Records) featuring Mike Johnson of Dinosaur Jr. and Brett Netson of Built to Spill
Vic Chesnutt - Silver Lake (New West) his 11th album
John Digweed - Stark Raving Mad (Thrive) two-CD set with Nick Muir
Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton - Irony Is a Dead Scene (Buddyhead/Lookout) new four-track 12-inch EP with the Mr. Bungle founder
Rob Dougan - Furious Angels (Warner Bros.)
Even in Blackouts - Myths & Imaginary Magicians (Panic Button) new from Screeching Weasel's John "Jughead" Pierson, featuring covers of Yaz's "Only You" and Operation Ivy's "Knowledge"
Hot Action Cop - Hot Action Cop (Lava) featuring the single "Fever for the Flava"
Charlie Hunter - Right Now Move (Blue Note)
Jamez - Dreamchasing (Future Groove/Mute)
Daniel Johnson - Fear Yourself (Gammon)
Joy Electric - The Tick Tock Treasury (Tooth & Nail)
The Juliana Theory - Live 10.13.2001 (Tooth & Nail)
Les Nubians - One Step Forward (Higher Octave) featuring guest Talib Kweli
Method Man - Tical 0: The Prequel (Def Jam) with guests P. Diddy and Ghostface Killah
NOFX - Regaining Unconsciousness (Fat Wreck) CD and seven-inch EP featuring an acoustic version of "13 Stitches"
Overkill - Killbox 13 (Spitfire) all new featuring founding members Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and D.D. Verni
Ronderlin - Wave Another Day Goodbye (Hidden Agenda)
Louise Taylor - Velvet Town (Signature Sounds)
Thicke - Beautiful World (DreamWorks)
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Ride 'Til I Die (Eagle) all new celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band
Tourniquet - Where Moth & Rust Destroy (Metal Blade) PETA-friendly Christian metal with guest Marty Freidman of Megadeth
various artists - 26 Mixes for Cash: The Aphex Twin Remix Project (Warp) tracks reworked by Meat Beat Manifesto, Saint Etienne, Mike Flowers Pops, David Bowie, and Phillip Glass
Waterdown - The Files You Have on Me (Victory) the band's second album after touring with Jimmy Eat World, Snapcase, and Avail
· Cover song alert! The Polyvinyl imprint has just released a white-vinyl split single, with Mates of State covering Jackson Browne's "These Days," and Dear Nora's terrific hand at Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country." Also a colored-vinyl release is "Big Black Witchcraft," the new single from The Cramps, a teaser from the group's upcoming Fiends of Dope Island album. The flip side is a treat: a "hackin' and wackin' and smackin'" cover of Roy Brown's murderous cult classic "Butcher Pete" from 1950.
· Highbrow alert! This Tuesday the Astralwerks and Tre Storie Western labels team up to release an album of new, original music from electronic superstars Air in an intriguing spoken-word landscape. Entitled City Reading, the project teams the French duo with Italian writer Alessandro Baricco, reading from his best-selling novel City.
· My pick of the week is One Man Submarine, a stunning indie gem from Eugene, Oregon, singer/songwriter Dan Jones on the Leisure King label. More open sky and underwater than just "Americana," this sophomore release from a late-blooming master songwriter is blissfully washed in fragile acoustic and jangle-pop guitars, building and leaning, cutting loose with punk-rock riffs, and, when you least expect it, roaring walls of humming waves. Deliciously melding influences such as Roger Miller, Lou Reed, Husker Du, The Meat Puppets, and Steve Earle, Jones' wit and chops are electric, haunting, spontaneous, and fun. The quieter moments are reminiscent of Peter Holsapple's and Chris Stamey's Mavericks album. Well worth searching for.
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Nelly on Thursday, Shania Twain on Friday, and Sean Paul on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Lou Reed on Thursday, Cat Power on Monday, and The D4 on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features Mark Knopfler this evening overnight, The Other Ones on Thursday overnight, Ja Rule on Friday overnight, and Ringo Starr on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn gets weird with Slobberbone on Thursday overnight and The Used on Friday overnight; and Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with 50 Cent on Friday overnight and Unwritten Law on Monday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, March 25:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
The Adventures of Jet - Muscle (Suburban Home) new Dallas three-piece power pop, formerly known as Bobgoblin
AFI - Sing the Sorrow (DreamWorks) with producers Butch Vig and Jerry Finn
Appliance - Are You Earthed? (Mute)
Joan Armatrading - Lover's Speak (Denon) all new
Boomkat - Boomkatalog One (DreamWorks)
Rosanne Cash - Rules of Travel (Capitol) with guests Jakob Dylan, Steve Earle, and Sheryl Crow
Caustic Resin - Keep On Truckin' (Up Records) featuring Mike Johnson of Dinosaur Jr. and Brett Netson of Built to Spill
Vic Chesnutt - Silver Lake (New West) his 11th album
John Digweed - Stark Raving Mad (Thrive) two-CD set with Nick Muir
Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton - Irony Is a Dead Scene (Buddyhead/Lookout) new four-track 12-inch EP with the Mr. Bungle founder
Rob Dougan - Furious Angels (Warner Bros.)
Even in Blackouts - Myths & Imaginary Magicians (Panic Button) new from Screeching Weasel's John "Jughead" Pierson, featuring covers of Yaz's "Only You" and Operation Ivy's "Knowledge"
Hot Action Cop - Hot Action Cop (Lava) featuring the single "Fever for the Flava"
Charlie Hunter - Right Now Move (Blue Note)
Jamez - Dreamchasing (Future Groove/Mute)
Daniel Johnson - Fear Yourself (Gammon)
Joy Electric - The Tick Tock Treasury (Tooth & Nail)
The Juliana Theory - Live 10.13.2001 (Tooth & Nail)
Les Nubians - One Step Forward (Higher Octave) featuring guest Talib Kweli
Method Man - Tical 0: The Prequel (Def Jam) with guests P. Diddy and Ghostface Killah
NOFX - Regaining Unconsciousness (Fat Wreck) CD and seven-inch EP featuring an acoustic version of "13 Stitches"
Overkill - Killbox 13 (Spitfire) all new featuring founding members Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and D.D. Verni
Ronderlin - Wave Another Day Goodbye (Hidden Agenda)
Louise Taylor - Velvet Town (Signature Sounds)
Thicke - Beautiful World (DreamWorks)
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Ride 'Til I Die (Eagle) all new celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band
Tourniquet - Where Moth & Rust Destroy (Metal Blade) PETA-friendly Christian metal with guest Marty Freidman of Megadeth
various artists - 26 Mixes for Cash: The Aphex Twin Remix Project (Warp) tracks reworked by Meat Beat Manifesto, Saint Etienne, Mike Flowers Pops, David Bowie, and Phillip Glass
Waterdown - The Files You Have on Me (Victory) the band's second album after touring with Jimmy Eat World, Snapcase, and Avail
