29
Jul
2003
· My pick of the week is worth searching for in the import bins, lest no American label grabs the hypnotic trip-jazz masterpiece by the Broadway Project entitled The Vessel (which will be released this Tuesday).
Comparisons to the mournful cry of Portishead are inevitable, but this new release on the cool Memphis Industries UK imprint swirls and radiates in larger atmospheres, lost in vocalist Richard Palmer's cracked falsetto. The cinematic experience tinkles and taunts layers of classical surges à la Tom Waits, washing in waves that recall candle smoke, old photographs, British film scores from the 1970s, Durrutti Column, and the Cocteau Twins' soft flutterings to heaven. Highly recommended for crawling in or out of heartbreak.
· Next week the Goofin' Records label releases a love letter to Sonic Youth in a four-LP vinyl-only re-issue of the band's Dirty album from 1992. This new deluxe edition features the original double album expanded by 24 bonus tracks from the era - B sides, outtakes, and rehearsal demos - a few more than Geffen Records' recent expanded CD re-issue. Two more classic Sonic Youth albums are scheduled this year for Geffen's deluxe-re-issue treatment, 1988's Daydream Nation and 1990's Goo.
· Strap yourself in for a visual time warp back to the alternative-music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s this Tuesday as Music Distributors is releasing 12 O'Clock High: Complete Sessions, a collection of videos worth noticing. Reading like a who's-who of a slacker art-student generation, the 28-clip DVD is rich with rare gems such as the Flaming Lips' "Unconsciously Screaming" and "Redneck School of Technology," the Afghan Whigs' "You My Flower," Bad Brains' "Soul Craft," and Babes in Toyland's "He's My Thing." Other significant indie artists are peppered about, from Pussy Galore and Crime & The City Solution to Live Skull and Thin White Rope.
· Also in DVD news is the announcement of Eagle Vision's release next month of a track-by-track behind-the-scenes exploration of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Highlights include exclusive interviews with all four members of the band, album engineer Alan Parsons' tour through the multi-track master tapes, Roger Waters' acoustic version of "Brain Damage," David Gilmour's acoustic take and player's technique discussion of "Breathe," and Richard Wright's piano run at "Us & Them."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Jeff Beck on Thursday and Alison Krauss on Friday; The Late Show with David Letterman features O.A.R. on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien hosts The Coral this evening overnight, Ted Nugent on Thursday overnight, The Datsuns on Monday overnight, and The Jayhawks on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn welcomes Heart on Thursday overnight and Jack Johnson on Tuesday overnight; and Last Call with Carson Daly gives it up for Cave-In on Thursday overnight, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson on Friday overnight, Longwave on Monday overnight, and Paloalto on Tuesday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, August 5:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
311 - Evolver (Volcano/Jive) enhanced CD
Terence Blanchard - Bounce (Blue Note) featuring a cover of Wayne Shorter's "Footsteps" and Ivan Lins' "Nocturna"
Blaque - Torch (Elektra)
Cam'ron - Purple Haze (Roc-a-Fella)
Todd Deatherage - Dream Upon a Fallen Star (Summer Break) with guest vocalist Rhett Miller of the Old 97's
Freddy Vs. Jason - original motion picture soundtrack (Roadrunner) with new music from Slipknot and a teaming of Mike Patton with Sepultura
Holly Golightly - Truly She Is None Other (Damaged Goods) featuring her covers of Ray Davies' "Time Will Tell" and "Tell Me Now So I Know"
Guided by Voices - "My Kind of Soldier" (Fading Captain) new seven-inch single limited to 1,000 copies
The Hyperions - Under My Sombrero (Surprise Truck) rockabilly beats with a bluesy edge, with guest D.J. Bonebrake of X and a cool cover of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black"
I.R.A.T.E. - Infinite Rebellion Against the Establishment (Direct Music) brutal Southern California metal
James Kirk - You Can Make It If You Boogie (Marina) new from the Orange Juice founder
Kraftwerk - Tour de France 2003 (Astralwerks) all new
Michael Franti & Spearhead - Everyone Deserves Music (iMUSIC) new deep lyrical food for thought from The Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy founder
The New Amsterdams - Worse for the Wear (Vagrant)
The New Christs - We Got This! (Smog Veil) spinning strobe-light distortion featuring Rob Younger of Radio Birdman
Over My Dead Body - Sink or Swim (Indecision) new from former members of Built to Last and Unbroken
Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles Volumes 3 and 4 (Ape) two new CDs in the series of demo archives from the XTC founder
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Unclassified (Warner Bros)
Razed in Black - Damaged (Cleopatra) dark-wave weaving techno and industrial, featuring a bonus disc of re-mixes and videos
Rachael Sage - Public Record (MPress Records) terrific new album from this singer-songwriter who won the 2002 Billboard Songwriting Contest and the grand prize at the 2001 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, shining bright on this breathy, confident, and comfortably cool album
Smash Mouth - Get the Picture (Interscope) featuring guest Ranking Roger of English Beat
State Property - Presents the Chain Gang Volume II (Roc-a-Fella) with guests Beanie Sigel and Dirt McGirt
Stripsearch - Stripsearch (Magna Carta) new from Josh Freese of The Vandals and A Perfect Circle
Ted Benson - Benson Burner (Jetset) head-banging heaven with this snarling UK rock outfit that sounds like Judas Priest meets Chrome, smacking down chunky riffs, sweaty abandon, and a long hard draw on the bong
Toots & The Maytals - World Is Turning (D&F Records) with a newly recorded version of "Feel Free"
The Derek Trucks Band - Soul Serenade (Columbia) CD EP
various artists - Bad Scene, Everybody's Fault: A Tribute to Jawbreaker (Dying Wish) with Face To Face, Nerf Herder, Sparta, Bayside, the Travoltas, and Jeff Ott's acoustic take on "Better Half"
various artists - Salute This Volume 1 (Slash/BiggMassive)
various artists - Sounds of Wood & Steel 3 (Windham Hill) nice collection of new acoustic instrumental work from Dave Matthews, Phil Keaggy, Jars of Clay, and Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles
Ween - Quebec (Sanctuary)
Luther Wright & The Wrongs - Guitar Pickin' Martyrs (Back Porch)
Ying Yang Twins - Me & My Brother (TVT)
· Next week the Goofin' Records label releases a love letter to Sonic Youth in a four-LP vinyl-only re-issue of the band's Dirty album from 1992. This new deluxe edition features the original double album expanded by 24 bonus tracks from the era - B sides, outtakes, and rehearsal demos - a few more than Geffen Records' recent expanded CD re-issue. Two more classic Sonic Youth albums are scheduled this year for Geffen's deluxe-re-issue treatment, 1988's Daydream Nation and 1990's Goo.
· Strap yourself in for a visual time warp back to the alternative-music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s this Tuesday as Music Distributors is releasing 12 O'Clock High: Complete Sessions, a collection of videos worth noticing. Reading like a who's-who of a slacker art-student generation, the 28-clip DVD is rich with rare gems such as the Flaming Lips' "Unconsciously Screaming" and "Redneck School of Technology," the Afghan Whigs' "You My Flower," Bad Brains' "Soul Craft," and Babes in Toyland's "He's My Thing." Other significant indie artists are peppered about, from Pussy Galore and Crime & The City Solution to Live Skull and Thin White Rope.
· Also in DVD news is the announcement of Eagle Vision's release next month of a track-by-track behind-the-scenes exploration of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Highlights include exclusive interviews with all four members of the band, album engineer Alan Parsons' tour through the multi-track master tapes, Roger Waters' acoustic version of "Brain Damage," David Gilmour's acoustic take and player's technique discussion of "Breathe," and Richard Wright's piano run at "Us & Them."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Jeff Beck on Thursday and Alison Krauss on Friday; The Late Show with David Letterman features O.A.R. on Thursday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien hosts The Coral this evening overnight, Ted Nugent on Thursday overnight, The Datsuns on Monday overnight, and The Jayhawks on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn welcomes Heart on Thursday overnight and Jack Johnson on Tuesday overnight; and Last Call with Carson Daly gives it up for Cave-In on Thursday overnight, Ben Harper and Jack Johnson on Friday overnight, Longwave on Monday overnight, and Paloalto on Tuesday overnight.
New Releases Coming Tuesday, August 5:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change
311 - Evolver (Volcano/Jive) enhanced CD
Terence Blanchard - Bounce (Blue Note) featuring a cover of Wayne Shorter's "Footsteps" and Ivan Lins' "Nocturna"
Blaque - Torch (Elektra)
Cam'ron - Purple Haze (Roc-a-Fella)
Todd Deatherage - Dream Upon a Fallen Star (Summer Break) with guest vocalist Rhett Miller of the Old 97's
Freddy Vs. Jason - original motion picture soundtrack (Roadrunner) with new music from Slipknot and a teaming of Mike Patton with Sepultura
Holly Golightly - Truly She Is None Other (Damaged Goods) featuring her covers of Ray Davies' "Time Will Tell" and "Tell Me Now So I Know"
Guided by Voices - "My Kind of Soldier" (Fading Captain) new seven-inch single limited to 1,000 copies
The Hyperions - Under My Sombrero (Surprise Truck) rockabilly beats with a bluesy edge, with guest D.J. Bonebrake of X and a cool cover of the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black"
I.R.A.T.E. - Infinite Rebellion Against the Establishment (Direct Music) brutal Southern California metal
James Kirk - You Can Make It If You Boogie (Marina) new from the Orange Juice founder
Kraftwerk - Tour de France 2003 (Astralwerks) all new
Michael Franti & Spearhead - Everyone Deserves Music (iMUSIC) new deep lyrical food for thought from The Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy founder
The New Amsterdams - Worse for the Wear (Vagrant)
The New Christs - We Got This! (Smog Veil) spinning strobe-light distortion featuring Rob Younger of Radio Birdman
Over My Dead Body - Sink or Swim (Indecision) new from former members of Built to Last and Unbroken
Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles Volumes 3 and 4 (Ape) two new CDs in the series of demo archives from the XTC founder
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Unclassified (Warner Bros)
Razed in Black - Damaged (Cleopatra) dark-wave weaving techno and industrial, featuring a bonus disc of re-mixes and videos
Rachael Sage - Public Record (MPress Records) terrific new album from this singer-songwriter who won the 2002 Billboard Songwriting Contest and the grand prize at the 2001 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, shining bright on this breathy, confident, and comfortably cool album
Smash Mouth - Get the Picture (Interscope) featuring guest Ranking Roger of English Beat
State Property - Presents the Chain Gang Volume II (Roc-a-Fella) with guests Beanie Sigel and Dirt McGirt
Stripsearch - Stripsearch (Magna Carta) new from Josh Freese of The Vandals and A Perfect Circle
Ted Benson - Benson Burner (Jetset) head-banging heaven with this snarling UK rock outfit that sounds like Judas Priest meets Chrome, smacking down chunky riffs, sweaty abandon, and a long hard draw on the bong
Toots & The Maytals - World Is Turning (D&F Records) with a newly recorded version of "Feel Free"
The Derek Trucks Band - Soul Serenade (Columbia) CD EP
various artists - Bad Scene, Everybody's Fault: A Tribute to Jawbreaker (Dying Wish) with Face To Face, Nerf Herder, Sparta, Bayside, the Travoltas, and Jeff Ott's acoustic take on "Better Half"
various artists - Salute This Volume 1 (Slash/BiggMassive)
various artists - Sounds of Wood & Steel 3 (Windham Hill) nice collection of new acoustic instrumental work from Dave Matthews, Phil Keaggy, Jars of Clay, and Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles
Ween - Quebec (Sanctuary)
Luther Wright & The Wrongs - Guitar Pickin' Martyrs (Back Porch)
Ying Yang Twins - Me & My Brother (TVT)
