18
Feb
2003
· Fans of National Public Radio's All Things Considered should seek out Wonderlure, the new spoken-word CD from Kevin Kling. The Minneapolis storyteller, playwright, and actor is a frequent contributor to the program, with eight of these recent radio pieces collected on one budget-priced CD.
Kling's observations on female drivers in the demolition derby, marathon races, and his near-fatal 2001 motorcycle accident offer proof that wonderful weirdness can bubble up anywhere at anytime. Speaking to the universal fisherman in all of us, Wonderlure is a nifty mental getaway for the campfire listener in all of us. Look for it on the East Side Digital label.
· Speaking of mental moods, this Tuesday brings a fantastic new tribute album to the late George Harrison, with a dozen friends and disciples lapping up the peaceful mojo of the "quiet Beatle." Koch Records hosts the affair, Songs from the Material World, featuring contributions from The Smithereens, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Dave Davies of the Kinks, Masters of Reality, and the MC5's Wayne Kramer. Highlights include Leslie West's down-and-dirty take on "Old Brown Shoe," They Might Be Giants' delightfully cool take on "Savoy Truffle," and Todd Rundgren's soaring guitar symphony of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Unlike most tribute CDs that feature only a handful of gems, this one doesn't miss a single beat. Proving that it's not always the singer over the song, it's Harrison's lyrics that lift every interpretation.
· In other tribute-CD news, the indie Animal World Recordings imprint has announced that later this spring it will release Neon Meate Dream of an Octafish, a tribute to Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. Twenty tracks are promised by a host of fans, including Firehose's Mike Watt, Don Fleming, Racebannon, and Jad Fair with Daisy Cooper.
· A new Styx album surfaces this week with a most ambitious and delightfully strange guest list. The Sanctuary Music CD, Cyclorama, features a nearly complete original lineup and boasts bad boys Tenacious D, Babys vocalist John Waite, actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton, Jude Cole, and - dig this - eternal Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
Television Alert
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Good Charlotte on Monday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Norah Jones on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features Paul Weller of The Jam on Thursday overnight and The Chieftains on Tuesday overnight; and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn unleashes Queens of the Stone Age on Thursday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, February 25:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A18 - Forever After Nothing (Victory) featuring members of the Outspoken and Chorus of Disapproval
Alpinestars - White Noise (Astralwerks) featuring guest Brian Molko of Placebo
Angels of Light - Everything Is Good Here, Please Come Home (Young God) dark and theatric new music from The Swans' Michael Gira and friends
Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions (Virgin) with guests DJ Shadow, Talvin Singh, and Brian Wilson
A Band of Bees - Sunshine Hit Me (Wall of Sound/Astralwerks) domestic issue of this critically acclaimed U.K. release, with a bonus track
Blackmore's Night - Past Times with Good Company (SPV) two-CD live album of Richie Blackmore's recent medieval directions, as well as classics from his legendary era with Rainbow and Deep Purple
Communique - A Crescent Honeymoon (Lookout) CD EP from former members of American Steel
Count the Stars - Never Be Taken Alive (Victory) emo-popcore now touring with Atom & His Package
De La Soul - Spit, Flows, & Safety: It Ain't Safe in Water (Sequence)
The D.O.C. - Deuce (Silverback) with guests Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and MC Ren
John Digweed - Stark Raving Mad (Thrive) two-CD set featuring previously unreleased Bedrock tracks with Nick Muir
Down & Out with the Dolls - original motion picture soundtrack (Lakeshore) with new music by Inger Lorre of the Nymphs and film cameos from Janice Tanaka of L7 and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead
Electric Frankenstein - Live at Camden Underworld (Punkervision) DVD recorded in London in 2000, featuring interview footage with Sal Canzonieri
Essence - Mariposa (Or Records) winner of the Lilith Fair/Levi's national talent search, featuring the single "Sleeping with the Driver"
Fischerspooner - #1 (Capitol) debut from this new electronic duo featuring a bonus DVD of film work and live video projections
Peter Green Splinter Group - Reaching the Cold (Eagle) new from the former Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac guitarist, featuring a bonus live EP CD with new covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Green Manalishi" and Santana's "Black Magic Women"
Jeff Hanson - Son (Kill Rock Stars) anticipated release from this Wisconsin native whose frail falsetto singing style over acoustic indie songcraft makes for a mesmerizing experience
Michael Harris - Hurricane X (Leviathan) instrumental guitar domination with fellow fretboard magician David T. Chastain
Kristen Hersh - The Grotto (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
The Iguanas - Plastic Silver 9-Volt Heart (Yep Roc)
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band - Smile (Curb/MCA) collection of tracks recorded for various film soundtracks, including The Apostle, Kissing Jessica Stein, and Mumford
Marilyn Manson - The Golden Age of Grotesque (Nothing) with guests Thim Skold of KMFDM and Joey Jordison of Slipknot
Tak Matsumoto - Hana (Favored Nations) guitar mastery from the founder of Japan's B'z, mixed by Steve Vai
Edwin McCain - The Austin Sessions (ATC Records) featuring a fantastic acoustic cover of Dire Straits' "Romeo & Juliet"
The Movielife - Forty Hour Train Back to Penn (Drive-Thru) the band's first full-length album
The Music - The Music (Capitol) domestic release
Nightmares on Wax - "70s 80s" (Warp) new 12-inch and CD single
Patrick O'Donnellv - Then I Woke Up (Skoda) posthumous collection of unreleased songs
The Rocket Summer - Calendar Days (Militia Group) new from 19-year-old Bryce Avary
Brady Seals - Thompson Street (Image) new solo album from the Little Texas member
Soul Embraced - Immune (Solid State) featuring Lance Garvin and Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice
Spiv - Don'cha Know? (Pop Sweatshop) produced by Ken Stringfellow of The Posies
Tobin Sprout - Lost Planets & Phantom Voices (Recordhead/Wigwam) new solo album from the former Guided by Voices guitarist and songwriter
Supa Red - Supa Red (Sanctuary/Noise) new from Michael Kiske of Helloween
Swingin' Utters - Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, & Bones (Fat Wreck) with guest vocalist Spike Slawson of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, produced by Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves
T. Rex - Electric Warrior (Rhino) re-issue featuring the rare acoustic track "Planet Queen"
various artists - The Story of Tone-Cool, Volume 1 (Tone-Cool) two-CD set with Double Trouble, Susan Tedeschi, and the North Mississippi Allstars
David Wilcox - Into the Mystery (What Are Records?)
Zao - All Else Failed (Solid State) metalcore with new vocalist Dan Weyandt
· Speaking of mental moods, this Tuesday brings a fantastic new tribute album to the late George Harrison, with a dozen friends and disciples lapping up the peaceful mojo of the "quiet Beatle." Koch Records hosts the affair, Songs from the Material World, featuring contributions from The Smithereens, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Dave Davies of the Kinks, Masters of Reality, and the MC5's Wayne Kramer. Highlights include Leslie West's down-and-dirty take on "Old Brown Shoe," They Might Be Giants' delightfully cool take on "Savoy Truffle," and Todd Rundgren's soaring guitar symphony of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Unlike most tribute CDs that feature only a handful of gems, this one doesn't miss a single beat. Proving that it's not always the singer over the song, it's Harrison's lyrics that lift every interpretation.
· In other tribute-CD news, the indie Animal World Recordings imprint has announced that later this spring it will release Neon Meate Dream of an Octafish, a tribute to Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. Twenty tracks are promised by a host of fans, including Firehose's Mike Watt, Don Fleming, Racebannon, and Jad Fair with Daisy Cooper.
· A new Styx album surfaces this week with a most ambitious and delightfully strange guest list. The Sanctuary Music CD, Cyclorama, features a nearly complete original lineup and boasts bad boys Tenacious D, Babys vocalist John Waite, actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton, Jude Cole, and - dig this - eternal Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
Television Alert
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Good Charlotte on Monday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Norah Jones on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features Paul Weller of The Jam on Thursday overnight and The Chieftains on Tuesday overnight; and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn unleashes Queens of the Stone Age on Thursday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, February 25:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
A18 - Forever After Nothing (Victory) featuring members of the Outspoken and Chorus of Disapproval
Alpinestars - White Noise (Astralwerks) featuring guest Brian Molko of Placebo
Angels of Light - Everything Is Good Here, Please Come Home (Young God) dark and theatric new music from The Swans' Michael Gira and friends
Richard Ashcroft - Human Conditions (Virgin) with guests DJ Shadow, Talvin Singh, and Brian Wilson
A Band of Bees - Sunshine Hit Me (Wall of Sound/Astralwerks) domestic issue of this critically acclaimed U.K. release, with a bonus track
Blackmore's Night - Past Times with Good Company (SPV) two-CD live album of Richie Blackmore's recent medieval directions, as well as classics from his legendary era with Rainbow and Deep Purple
Communique - A Crescent Honeymoon (Lookout) CD EP from former members of American Steel
Count the Stars - Never Be Taken Alive (Victory) emo-popcore now touring with Atom & His Package
De La Soul - Spit, Flows, & Safety: It Ain't Safe in Water (Sequence)
The D.O.C. - Deuce (Silverback) with guests Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and MC Ren
John Digweed - Stark Raving Mad (Thrive) two-CD set featuring previously unreleased Bedrock tracks with Nick Muir
Down & Out with the Dolls - original motion picture soundtrack (Lakeshore) with new music by Inger Lorre of the Nymphs and film cameos from Janice Tanaka of L7 and Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead
Electric Frankenstein - Live at Camden Underworld (Punkervision) DVD recorded in London in 2000, featuring interview footage with Sal Canzonieri
Essence - Mariposa (Or Records) winner of the Lilith Fair/Levi's national talent search, featuring the single "Sleeping with the Driver"
Fischerspooner - #1 (Capitol) debut from this new electronic duo featuring a bonus DVD of film work and live video projections
Peter Green Splinter Group - Reaching the Cold (Eagle) new from the former Bluesbreakers and Fleetwood Mac guitarist, featuring a bonus live EP CD with new covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Green Manalishi" and Santana's "Black Magic Women"
Jeff Hanson - Son (Kill Rock Stars) anticipated release from this Wisconsin native whose frail falsetto singing style over acoustic indie songcraft makes for a mesmerizing experience
Michael Harris - Hurricane X (Leviathan) instrumental guitar domination with fellow fretboard magician David T. Chastain
Kristen Hersh - The Grotto (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
The Iguanas - Plastic Silver 9-Volt Heart (Yep Roc)
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band - Smile (Curb/MCA) collection of tracks recorded for various film soundtracks, including The Apostle, Kissing Jessica Stein, and Mumford
Marilyn Manson - The Golden Age of Grotesque (Nothing) with guests Thim Skold of KMFDM and Joey Jordison of Slipknot
Tak Matsumoto - Hana (Favored Nations) guitar mastery from the founder of Japan's B'z, mixed by Steve Vai
Edwin McCain - The Austin Sessions (ATC Records) featuring a fantastic acoustic cover of Dire Straits' "Romeo & Juliet"
The Movielife - Forty Hour Train Back to Penn (Drive-Thru) the band's first full-length album
The Music - The Music (Capitol) domestic release
Nightmares on Wax - "70s 80s" (Warp) new 12-inch and CD single
Patrick O'Donnellv - Then I Woke Up (Skoda) posthumous collection of unreleased songs
The Rocket Summer - Calendar Days (Militia Group) new from 19-year-old Bryce Avary
Brady Seals - Thompson Street (Image) new solo album from the Little Texas member
Soul Embraced - Immune (Solid State) featuring Lance Garvin and Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice
Spiv - Don'cha Know? (Pop Sweatshop) produced by Ken Stringfellow of The Posies
Tobin Sprout - Lost Planets & Phantom Voices (Recordhead/Wigwam) new solo album from the former Guided by Voices guitarist and songwriter
Supa Red - Supa Red (Sanctuary/Noise) new from Michael Kiske of Helloween
Swingin' Utters - Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, & Bones (Fat Wreck) with guest vocalist Spike Slawson of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, produced by Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves
T. Rex - Electric Warrior (Rhino) re-issue featuring the rare acoustic track "Planet Queen"
various artists - The Story of Tone-Cool, Volume 1 (Tone-Cool) two-CD set with Double Trouble, Susan Tedeschi, and the North Mississippi Allstars
David Wilcox - Into the Mystery (What Are Records?)
Zao - All Else Failed (Solid State) metalcore with new vocalist Dan Weyandt
