GO TO:
Re-Royal Trux
Drag City will re-release the seminal first two albums by the Royal Trux, the self-titled one and the legendary "Twin infinitives" in January. Can't wait. Those are impossible to find in second hand stores around here. (And, no, I don't want to look on ebay.) Moreover, there will also be a new album by Jenifer Herrema's RTX outfit, which is called "Live" but isn't. More info at www.dragcity.com.
Limitations at Dhyana Records
What use are releases limitied to 40 pieces? All the world, baby, all the world. Dhyanarecords has two new releases out: a 7" by Intretosh with 2 tracks on one side and individual handpaintings on the other one. And a double CDR by Kling Kollektiv in collaboration with gebrauchtemusik, which has individual tracklistings on any individual package. More info at www.dhyanarecords.com
Glitterhouse starts Stag-O-Lee
At least since Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads" album everybody in the western world knows about the legend of Stagger Lee (or Stack-O-Lee or Stag-O-Lee and so on).. The laurelled indie/americana-label Glitterhouse (Walkabouts, Hugo Race, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Terry Lee Hale, 16 Horsepower, etc.) now has started a new sub-label to go into the field of Garage-rock, punk-spirit and other kinds of music that have funk and soul. This year starts with the simultanous release of four 7" singles (!) by Saint Silas Intercession, Cut in the Hill Gang, The Fabulous Penetrators and The Detroit Cobras. A CD by the Saint Silas Intercession is already in the works. T-Shirts and Slipmats for your vinyl player are already out as well. www.myspace.com/stagoleerecords
Johnny
Cash remixed
Compadre
Records (who?) will release a set of a CD with remixes of Johnny Cash
songs and a DVD with a documentary. I am very doubtful, especially because one
of the main proponents is Mr “I do any advertisement they pay me for no matter
how stupid it is” Snoop Dogg. I don’t really see how “bold new
interpretations” by “top music remixers” with “the sounds and technology
of modern music styles such as hip hop and dance” can do any good. John Carter
Cash finds it cool, but then he hasn’t produced a halfway decent album himself
as far as I know. Moreover,
most of the songs remixed come from the Sun-era. Actually, I know none of the
names of the famous DJs mentioned in the news and I don’t care if their
remixes of that and that song have been used in that and that tv advertisement.
There has to be a reason this product will be promoted by a company called “big
hassle media”.
Lotsa work at
conspiracy
Conspiracy records (and mailorder) have announced an
amazing amount of new releases for the upcoming period. Albums (splits and
collaborations not seperately mentioned here) by Mono, Isis, Monno, Jesu,
Envy, Maninkari,
Taiga, Gnaw, Heatdeath, Master Musicians of Bukake, Jakob and Fear Falls
Burning amongst others. Check out www.conspiracyrecords.com
Coca Cola angers Jack
White
Jack White is pissed off. He entered a contract with
Sony about writing a song for the upcoming James Bond movie “a quantum of
solace” (don’t mention it...) and because Sony has a marketing deal with
Coca Cola, the soft drink manufacturer has used an instrumental version of White’s
song for a commercial for his deadbeat Coke Zero brand. Which angers Jack White.
Maybe he should be angry about having such stupid lawyers that didn’t check
his contracts with Sony, but hey, if you lie down in a bed with the devil you
shouldn’t be surprised about being taken from behind.
Dance with the modern
west
Kevin Costner and his band Modern West will release
their debut album this fall. They play Country music. (Wouldn’t that rather be
a factoid?)
New on Rock is Hell
The new 10” by BulbulTumido (the collaboration of those two great
noise rock bands) will be mentioned in more detail in these pages soon. Upcoming
are great records, such as a 7” limited vinyl single by
Broken.Heart.Collector, which is Bulbul with Maja Osojnik, and a CDR of a live
improvisation of Weasel Walter, Mario Rechtern and DDKern from January of this
year at Fluc. www.rockishell.com.
New on Touch & Go
Well, everybody knows about the new Calexico
album anyway, but this fall also brings albums by The New Year, The Antlers,
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists and the All The Saints. Various hors d’oeuvre mp3s
available at www.tgrec.com.
Calexico Rolling Stones its new CD
The new album of Calexico will be available in full with the October 2008 issue of the German Rolling Stone magazine. No, they say, this is totally unlike what Prince did with the Sunday Times because that was bad for the music and the newspaper, whereas here we have a mutual collaboration of fitting partners. Wonderfull. The isse of Rolling Stonge goes for 6,90 € instead of 5,20 € (or something) which makes me think I'll probably download the whole thing from somewhere (or have a friend make a tape for me...) That is how much I like marketing stunts rolled over by my favorite bands.
Fifty times 12rec records
In four years the 12rec netlabel has released 49
fine albums of music as diverse as the universe, and always both in free
download versions and a finely designed CDR-version. For the fiftieth release
they have compiled an album worth of tracks with all the artists that have
released on their label. The 17 tracks include Daniel Maze, Werner Kitzmüller,
Nicolas Bernier (w/ Alexandr Vatagin and Audio 88), Sichtbeton, and many others.
Get it here: http://12rec.net/12rec.050_Downloads.htm
Finally a dilemma worth rocking the
records
It took some time but finally Dilemma Records has
started off with a one-sided 12” by Kevin Drumm. Now this label has been
started by our good friend Richie from Interstellar Records and the plan is as
simple as it is intriguing: 100 copies, no re-releases, no wholesale, no digital
versions, no myspace. Subscriptions are possible, though. Upcoming are more 12”es
by Kam Hassah and Markus Decker. http://www.dilemmarecords.com/
Rock is More Hell
About to come sooner or later are new releases by our
long time favourites Bulbul on our favourite specialist label Rock is Hell.
First is a Bulbultumido 10”, then a Bulbul / Maja Osojnik split 7”. If you feel that
these are rather common formats for Rock Is Hell you are right, but there is
also a record by Burmese in the plans which might be an 8” and then three
cassettes (yes, these old tapes for a tape player, where you have to rewind
mechanically!) by Murder Murder and Sound Painters, and then a Live CDr with
Weasel Walter, Mario Rechtern and DDKern sometime later. www.rockishell.com
20 years of Sub Pop
I am sure the twentieth anniversary of Sub Pop
records didn’t go by you without notice. At least they did all they could to
remind the world of their still existence. A special compilation CD with Mojo
magazine, another compilation CD that you might grab for free here or there
(mailorder, record stores, unfortunately not downloadable...) and then other
stunts like hanging their flag from the Seattle space needle! Punkrock attitude
with the city council’s approval. Well, Sub Pop is responsible for the city’s
best known son and guitar player, and I am not talking about Jimi Hendrix. www.sub-pop.com
Cave mini-book
What happens if you really love your own work: Nck Cave met with two English artists who produced the light bulb design for his last album "Dig Lazarus Dig" and because the process of doing it and the results are so overwhelming they released a tiny booklet containing a 3"CD that documents the birth of this work of art. The booklet comes with a black t-shirt that shows the design in white print - and for a Nick Cave T-Shirt this one is probably cheap.
AC/DC supermarket exclusive
The Aussie blues hardrockers of AC/DC are also sharing
the will to find new and innovative ways to distribute their music, yet fall
back on what is of little innovation value: their next album will be sold in the
USA exclusively at WalMart.
Calexico Carried to Dust
“Carried to Dust” is the title of the new Calexico
album which will be released in September on Touch & Go. It should be a good one. It better
be. There has to be a reason their legendary song „Crystal Frontier“ was set
to good use as a wake up call for the astronauts on the Space Shuttle Discovery
once.
Free Anti Summer Music
Anti records has a free download digital sampler for
spring 2008. Of course, you know “Dig Lazarus Dig” by Nick Cave
already and Tom
Waits is missing out, but with contributions by Joe Henry, Bettey
LaVette, Billy Bragg, Tim Fite, Bob Mould and others you could do worse. www.antilabelblog.com
The Return of Amebix?
The release of a DVD package by legendary crust-punk
outfit Amebix lead to speculations of a reformation. Although they swore never
to reunite twenty years ago after disbanding, who knows in this time and age...
Godfathers Re-Hit by Re-Hit
There are some people who believe that The
Godfathers were the only real rock’n’roll band in the late Eighties and
early Nineties. I saw them play live a few times and they were definitely
amongst the best live bands ever. They rocked the Chelsea
with three encores, making the walls sweat and finally tearing through an
impromptu re-working of “wipe out”. Now their first album (actually a
collection of their first three singles) has been re-released in a deluxe
version with a second disc filled with specials and rarites. I want it all.
Waits in Vienna
And more Tom Waits news: he is planning a tour
through Europe in summer and he will also come to Vienna.
Money in the mail for Tom Waits
Because the world famous actress Scarlett
Johansson (from “Horse Whisperer” to “Lost in Translation” in five
seconds) has recorded an album worth of cover versions of songs by Tom Waits.
Helping hand in the Studio was David Sitek from TV on the Radio
(which is the reason this piece of news is mentioned here) and some others like
Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah
Yeahs) and David Bowie.
Skull Disco Free Mix
If you, like me, have fallen prey to the
subsonic basses of Skull Disco, then you might want to blast the speakers of
your computer or mp3 player with the free mix available on the Skull Disco
website. www.skulldisco.com Enjoy. (File under: not so new
news.)
Has music come to this?
After Radiohead released “In Rainbows” in
pay what you like mode on the internet, other big names are following suit with
all kinds of creative marketing ideas: Nine Inch Nails offer various versions of their “Ghost
I-IV” ranging from 5 USD for nothing but the songs up to 300 USD for the
premium package. According to open figures they made 1.6 million with it in the
first week, probably covering the expenses for studio time, digital machinery,
make up and leather clothing for the band and drugs of the recording session.
R.E.M. made a stream of “Accelerate” available for three days prior to the
actual release. Madonna, who took her complete business away from a real major
label to a licensing business resulted in her new single “4 minutes” being
used for a Unilever-brand “Sunsilk” commercial two weeks before proper
release. And Dance-Floor-Fillas Groove Armada have signed a full contract with
Bacardi, who will release a 4-track-EP and the duo will have to play on
Bacardi-Events. Good for us that marketing usually is not interested in most of
the music presented on Cracked and that there are virtually no kids downloading
a 45-minute free improvisation electro noise piece.
Nude Melvins with boots
Citing the official promo: As hard as it might be to believe,
The Melvins have a NEW album in the can! It's
called Nude With Boots and is scheduled for a July 8 release. This is good news
because it means the boys will be hitting the road again in the United States
AND in Europe! The rest of the world could follow, but who knows? Hell, that
would be like eight months from now and it's hard to plan that far ahead.
Let Boris Smile
Amidst the masses of collaborations, singles,
twelve inches, super rare singles and whatnot, it still exites us here at
Cracked Headquarters whenever Boris announce a new full length proper real album.
(More than the rumours of a new Metallica album anyway.) The next one is called
“Smile” and will be available soon enough. After all, Boris are the only
band that ever out-sabbathed Black Sabbath.
War Metal Battle Master
The headline is nothing but the title of the new
album by Lair
of the Minotaur (I like metal bands with animals in their names,
like Pig Destroyer or Mastodon or, well, that’s about it...) but who could
ever do better. If you haven’t known LOTM then you might give them respect now
for creating the label of the current mini-micro-metal trend: “battle metal”,
but by the time you read this, the fad is probably already over anyway. The
reason for this newsbit is though, that the video to the title song is available
at http://www.lairwarmetalvideo.com/
and it is nothing short of a true metal epic. Like Leni Riefenstahl goes
fantasy-splatter-horror.
Cavalera Brothers united
Ah, the family, you know, it is the most important thing. Especially in case of the two Brazillian brothers named Max and Igor Cavalera, who once broke up a rather well known metal-band named Sepultura and now, after ten years of not talking to each other, have found together once again in the arms of brotherly love and killer riffs. After Igor departed from Sepultura for good, that is, and Max giving a pause to his successful Soulfly-band. They call their new project Cavalera Conspiracy, which is way better than "Sep-Ultra" and the one track I have heard ("Inflikted") is a killer. We'll see.
Reed boxing blogs
Lou Reed recently started a second career
blogging for MSG’s Game On! Channel about – hold on, here comes ! –
boxing. We knew about the Thai Chi thing, but this is also great. After all, he
is Lou Reed and whatever he does is okay with me.
Pistola DeVille
I admit I am a Willy DeVille fan. I hunted down all his early records with Mink DeVille in second hand stores - including the soundtrack to "Cruising" (the gay scene crime movie with Al Pacino) and my copy includes a promo sheet that states that Willy DeVille is the brother of Mink DeVille. But now he really has released a new album: "Pistola" and he is still one of the coolest. Standing tall as the person he has made himself to be like Willie Nelson or Kris Kristofferson. Makes being old look real good.
Willard Grant Conspiracy Pilgrim Orchestra Tour
The last time I saw the Willard Grant Conspiracy play live they were mighty and the time before that they were also great. And this summer they will come through Europe employing all together eleven people on stage. Amongst them, next to the usual cast, Malcolm Lindsay, Chris Eckmann (of Walkabouts fame) and Howe Gelb (of his own fame). I cannot wait until May.
Let’s walkabout
The Walkabouts will begin recording a new album
in 2008. The release date is unknown at this point. The album may involve a song
cycle and strings. Chris Eckman also recorded another solo-album filled with
minimalistically arranged songs written to the word of the late Slovenian poet
Dane Zajc. No release date to that yet.
Twin Saturnalia
It is finally coming to fruit: the collaboration
of Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs,
Twilight Singers) and Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the stone Age,
solo and collaborations everywhere – hell, I wish I had a singing voice like
this...) will release a record called “Saturnalia” under the name of The
Gutter Twins. I don’t need to know more, I will go out and get this! Later on
in the year another duettery between Lanegan and Isobell Campbell is planned.
Conspiracy to come
Next to the Isis 10 year anniversary 12 LP Box,
that I think we already mentioned around here, Conspiracy Records has announced
two further strictly limited releases of vinyl albums: the self-titled album by
Heatdeath will be limited to 250 pieces. “Four Freckle Constellation” by new
Cracked-faves Birchville Cat Motel (yeah, I know we are late) will
be limited to 500 pieces. So be quick. www.conspiracyrecords.com
Americana Galore
A lot of great americana (at least that is what
we used to call it back then) bands have announced or released new records and
what they all have in common is: they have been around for a long time, they
have released at least half a dozen records, but the records they have
contributed to in one way or another goes at least into the double dozen and the
interested public has so far failed to pay them their dues. Well, then here: The
Transmissionary Six’ „Cosmonautical“ should already be out. Everybody
knows that 16 Horsepower’s might lies mainly in their live shows and the “Live
March 2001” double CD will prove just that. One guy that has never made a bad
record but has been to idiosyncratic for most people is Hugo Race, who
will have a new record out called “53rd State”. The biggest and
most powerful though most sensible at the same time is Willard Grant Conspiracy,
whose “Pilgrim Road” album will be released in May.
Me Tarzan, you Phil
Ever wonder why you haven’t heard of Phil
Collins or Genesis in such a long time? Because old Phil was busy writing the
songs for the Disney musical “Tarzan”. Okay, so why is that mentioned here
and not in the factoids? Because a) it is too long for a factoid, b) I didn’t
want to spoil the factoids and c) as long as Phil writes musical scores he won’t
be releasing proper albums. And that is good news, right?
Vetiver covers and re-covers
After finishing his stint with Devandra
Banhart's touring and recording band, Andy Cabin - mastermind of Vetiver -
will be getting back on track with his own band
Tupolev launches label
Alexandr Vatagin (Slon, Port
Royal, Tupolev,
etc.) and Peter Holy (Tupolev) will start a new label, apparently called
Valeot Records. First releases announced are a special vinyl version of the
latest Port Royal album “afraid to dance” and a CD & vinyl release of
Tupolev’s first proper album “in memory of bjorn bolssen”. More info at: http://www.valeot.com/
Dig Lazarus Dig!
Nick Cave will release a new album in February or
March called Dig Lazarus Dig, which of course has the Cracked HQ reeling with
excitement. There is a strange ad-video available on YouTube (where else, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ7oizdQ0KY&NR=1) From the info available, it
will probably be infused by the spirit of the occult. If you want to get a first
impression listen to stream of single / title track at www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com
Golden Opportunities with Okkervil
River
This is the kind of christmas I like. Okkervill
River presents a completely free collection of eight songs, all of them
coverversions (John Cale, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman and others), that were
recorded live on tour in 2006 and 2007. With various nice versions of the
artwork, too. I’ll pack it in for new years eve. http://www.okkervilriver.com/
Melvins on „Manchild 3“
The Melvins like to make it hard for their die hard fans,
like puppets, seven seven inches in a row, triple editions of coloured vinyl and
what else, but as how do they say: record collectors are assholes. Well, here is
a task for you: try to hunt down the comic book “Manchild 3” by Brian
Walsby, because it contains a CD with Melvins demos. The CD is called “Making
Love Demos” and contains early recordings from 1987 which were given to Walsby
(by the way, also ex-drummer of Polvo) almost twenty years ago. That is roughly
“Gluey Porch Treatmens”-era Melvins. Have fun.
Hank clears it up for the queers
It is a damn fine read, so that is why it is
here: Henry Rollins was interviewed by queerpunk.com about all kinds of things
but mainly on his view on being punk and queer (duh!) and how things would have
been back then with Black Flag if he had been queer. Tough, that is. No, despite
all my sarcasm, it is a fine read. Go here: http://queerpunks.com/wordpress/2007/12/22/queerpunks-talks-to-henry-rollins/
Sounds Familyre Christmas
mp3-calendar
Everybody likes christmas. Except
for me, but I don’t count, because I give in every year and still celebrate
with everybody. Because it is nice, and christmas is the time to be nice, as the
logic goes. That is completely tautologic, but everybody seems to steamed in
eggnog, punsch and celebration shopping, that they just don’t care about logic
or looking up what “tautologic” means in wikipedia. Anyway, Sounds Familyre
also want to celebrate with everybody, so they put online a couple of mp3s in a
christmas calendar by e.g. Danielson, Soul Junk, Sufjan Stevens and a heck lot
of other people. Here: http://www.soundsfamilyre.com/blog/2007/12/10/a-familyre-christmas-vol1-free-download-2/
Cat Powered Jukebox
Chan Marshall aka Cat Power, or as we call her:
the all beloved and hailed Cat Power, has revealed details to her second covers
album, which will be called “Jukebox” because it has two originals by her.
Those are “metal heart” and the Dylan-tribute “Song to Bobby”. The
covers include “Rambin (wo)man” (Hank Williams), “I believe in you” (Bob Dylan),
“Fortunate Son” (CCR), “Dark end of the street” (Otis Redding, I think),
“Woman left lonely” (Janis Joplin) and a bunch of others. Those in brackets
are not necessarily the authors but those artists who contributed my up to now
favourite version of the song.
New Lasse Label
After Jazzassin had folded in 2001 Lasse Marhaug relied on other people's label's efforts to release good music (by him). Now he takes it up again and has started Pica Disk. First release will be the first solo record of renowned french horn player Hild Sofie Tafjord, titled "Kama". Upcoming releases are planned by Birchville Cat Motel, Oren Ambarchi, Incapacitants (!) and Hijokaidan (!!). Of course, there already is a website: www.picadisk.com
15 years of being thrilled and
jockeyed
After Touch & Go has celebrated its 25th
birthday those folks at Thrill Jockey don’t want to stand back and celebrate
their 15th year of existence. Of course with a festival to be staged
in London on November 11/12th. Featuring acts such as Fiery Furnaces,
Trans Am, Sea and Cake, Califone, Radian, Daniel Higgs, Bobby Conn, Tortoise,
KTL and others. Now you remember why you used to love this label. www.thrilljockey.com
Vibrating Portraits
Is also the name of a new compilation on
Nexsound featuring artists like Maps and Diagramm (Pause_2, smallfish, cactus
island), Flotel (Expanding), Autistici (12k, Kikapu), Lawrence English
(Quatermass, Baskaru), Salvatore Borelli aka {etre} (baskaru), Ossobuco (Kranky), Motion (12k, Fat
Cat) and others. It is progressive, electronic music more interested in
answering questions and in visualizing sounds. And unlike “in rainbows” this
is an interesting online free release. www.nexsound.org
Some more black heart processions
Coming down from it’s gigantic 25th
anniversary blow out Touch & Go Records has announced new records by Black
Heart Procession, The New Year and Three Mile Pilot for early next
year. Only the first of those gets me excited, though. www.touchandgorecords.com
Lift, Ol’ Nick, Lift
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have announced the
release of their 57th album for February 2008. It will be called
“Lift, Lazarus, Lift” and contain a bunch of goth rock songs about love and
god and the bible. Musically it will be a mix of Grinderman
and pop music, but what is the news about that? There is no info on www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com yet, because they
always wait until things have happened before they announce them (which is a
damn clever safety measure – so you’ll never announce anything wrong) but
message boards are already buzzing with excitement.
In the meantime Nick Cave and Warren Ellis hammered together an (purely instrumental) score for the movie “The Assassination” about the killing of Jesse James produced and starring Brad Pitt. Cave also makes an appearance in the movie where he sings a small drunken little waltz about Jesse James.
Megaboxed Isis
To mark the tenth anniversary of being a band,
megalithic heavy progcore band Isis will release a boxset containing all their
previously released records on 180g vinyl. The box is limited to 600 pieces (300
in the US by Robotic, 300 in Europe by Conspiracy). Prices haven’t yet been
announced, but I ask myself who will buy this monster: hardcore fans have all
those records already and beginners will have two or three doubles at least. So
the target group is collectors and traders. More info at www.conspiracyrecords.com
Enon and on and on and on
I haven’t heard of them in a long time but
checking my record collection I realized I own quite a bunch of their albums, so
I guess, I like them. And now, after some time off, square funk core rockers
Enon will release their fifth album on Touch & Go. It is called “Grass
Geysers ... Carbon Clouds” and has 12 tunes “lodged between your conscious
and the red lights”. Whatever that means. At the same time Touch & Go will
re-release Enon’s first album “Believo!” www.touchandgorecords.net
Arts auction in adventures
My personal favorite amongst fanzines is
Rokko’s Adventures, and that even though there is only one issue available
yet. The next one is coming up and amongst other stuff it will feature a
catalogue for art done by famous and not so famous artists, but all of them
anonymously because people should by art if they like it, not because of the
name of the artist. And there will be a bloodrenched suprise in there as well. Oh, and there might be some kind of compilation CD coming
along as well. Do you know now, why I like this zine? http://www.myspace.com/rokkosadventures
Sex, violence and high spirits
It is a special interest group formed of über-scenesters
Fritz Ostermayer, Christian Fuchs, Robert Zikmund and David Pfister and they
will release an album on trost (www.trost.at) later this year. Anybody who knows
the interest in the dark and sombre and aside sides of life and their gory
details will know what to expect of them: probably something completely
different at all. Usually it is all about intoxicaton, ecstasy and euphoria, but
who knows... Just wait a little while longer. Of course, they are also on
myspace: http://www.myspace.com/neigungsgruppe
Valina on the long now
Our other favorite band Valina have announced a
new album to be released on Trost in March of next year. Title: “The Long
Now”. Can’t hardly wait.
Krill.Minima for free and not
Martin Juhls, also known as Marsen Jules and
krill.minima, has released a full album for free download called “Urlaub auf
Balkonien” on Thinner Records (www.thinner.cc) as an appetizer
to his upcoming krill.minima album on Native State Records called “Nautica”.
That is what I call productive.
More old fools... ähm, I meant heroes
After The Cult, The Pixies, Mission and whoever was around on the big stages in the early Nineties now the New Model Army are also releasing a new record. Hell, I liked "51st state" as much as anybody and I also want Justin Sullivan to pay for his dentist, but was that necessary. On the same note: was the reunion of the Gorilla Buiscits necessary? Or any of that? Is there no working pension fund for aged rockers?
Scout lets that fool
die
Noisy crooneress Scout Niblett will release a new album later this year called “This fool can die now”, which is not Shakespearean but of her own invention. It was recorded in Chicago by Steve Albini. Need I write more? Players are Kristian Goddard, Chris Saligoe, Susana Volez, Alison Chesley and Bonnie Prince Billy. Now that should be enough, right?
Daydream Nation re-dreamed
It is now available: the massive re-release of the other seminal Sonic Youth album "Daydream Nation". After "Goo" this is another 4-album release in a big box.
Rock is Hell Singles
Club
The mighty Rock is Hell corporation, best known for its realeses’
incredible mix of outstanding music, extraordinary covers and madly small copy
runs, will start a singles club with the beginning of next year. Participants
will be: child abuse, death sentence: panda!, zu, bulbul, fugu & the cosmic
mumu, bug,
reflector, rokko anal, foot village and sasgrotch. More infos at http://www.rockishell.com/7inch-club.htm Ppd for 40 € in Austria and
not a lot more elsewhere. That is an investment into your future, buddy.
Klaxons break a leg
During a show somewhere in France Jamie Reynols from The Klaxons tried to
stagedive across a 12ft. gap and broke his leg badly. Now the Klaxons have to
postpone the second leg of their current tour. How do they say in show biz:
break a leg?
30 years of not
minding the bollocks..
...but caring a lot for the money that is possible to be churned of
teenage punkers everywhere. To mark the 30th anniversary of the
release of “Never mind the bollocks here is the Sex Pistols” there are
various special vinyl releases ahead planned by Virgin. The highlight for you
punkrockers out there will be the heavy weight edition that includes a 7” with
“Submission” and a poster, very much like the first original edition that
came out on October 28th 1977. For the rest of you, please remember,
Punk didn’t start with the Sex Pistols and it won’t end with them.
New Zine in town
It is called "Rokko's Adventures" and it is a definite winner. Amongst others articles about The Melvins, Dyse and Tumult records music-wise, the situationistic internationale, futurism and artists like Gottfried Bechthold and Ruth Weis art-wise, and stuff like a full special part about trepanation (that's drilling a hole in somebody's head) without mentioning Nine Inch Nails debut album. Rokko unbelievably does everything right, from writing about all the stuff nobody else cares about and then making them all intersting, to playing his own little games with the expectations of the readers and finally putting a pinup of two motherfuckers in the middle of the zine. All of that in cool design as you can see from the cover, which is hidden here, and for only three measly Euros! Mail to rokkosadventures@gmx.at for mor info.
Bozulich Bulbulised
Rumours have it that Carla Bozulich took a
little detour during her stay in Vienna to sing over a track of Bulbul.
Lyrics and melodies written on the spot and recorded on a half day’s notice.
Will this ever appear? Hopefully, as Bulbul are on the verge of recording a new
album.
Your Weekly Vital Podcast
Vital Weekly, the ever trusted newsletter of
Staalplaat, which reviews tons of unknown artists and records, has added a
podcast to enrich your pleasure in reading the newsletter. Or to get an idea of
what all this rambling about serial rockmusic, hypertonic noise explorations or
fringe free form improv electroacoustic experimental minimalism is about. Find
it here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.html
Two new on Al Maslakh
The, as far as we know, only free improvisation
jazz label in the Arabic world, Al Maslakh, has released two more CDs: one is
Cedarheard (the cedar being the national tree of Lybia, where Al Maslakh comes
from) which features drummer Michael Zerang in several duos among them with
Marzen Kerbaj (trumpet, runs Al Maslakh), Sharif Sehnaoui (gt), Raed Yassin
(tapes) and others. The other CD is called Mawja and features Michael Bullock
(contrabass and feedback), Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet) and Vic Rawlings (cello and
surface electronics). More Info and order at www.almaslakh.org
More Valina news
Plans for a new album by Valina are appearing in the sky. CD / double album to be ready somewhere late this year. Then another world tour. Anyway, it has been two years since the great "Epode"-EP and five years since their last album "vagabond". More than time, isn't it? We can't hardly wait.
Qui Yow?
David Yow, of the more than plain legendary Jesus Lizard, has a new band called Qui. What? Exactly. As any good band they have released a 7" single the first step from which we can gather the following: his two mates in the band are Paul Christensen on drums and Matt Cronk on guitar. And the two tracks are killer. Garbled, whining, energy-fuelled punk'n'blues like the olden times. Hell, if I know.
Led Vanilla Fudgellin
The Sixties-Psychedelic-Legends Vanilla Fudge (best known from their version of You keep me hangin' on) re-united in their original line-up. Their new album "Out through the in door" contains nothing but Led Zeppelin cover versions. Weird.
Superchunky comeback
Short notice: Superchunk will make a comeback this summer. The lead singer's (and Merge record labelhead) "sideproject" Portastatic already has a new record out.
Valina all over the world
One of our all time favorite bands,
Valina,
will start their upcoming tour in Ankara, Turkey on June 12th, then
jump over the big lake and start US-shows in Chicago (where else) on the very
next day. Then it’s five more days with a show each in Detroit, Fort Wayne,
Louisville, Bloomington and Indianapolis and then home. Phew. Some weeks later
they’ll start recording a new album which will be out in fall 2007. Busy guys.
www.trost.at/valina
Comeback Misson
The Mission are back with a new
record. The Mission! Jeez, I didn’t even like them that much the first time
around, except for some of their hitsingles late at night in a rock club half
drunk and falling asleep, but now? Let’s see: Dinosaur Jr, Stooges, Gang of
Four, what next? Nirvana...
Acoustic War Kids
The Cold War Kids, who we like for some unkown
reason at Cracked HQ, have played an acoustic benefit for a breast cancer
something doing some coverversions and stuff in quite lose atmosphere. And you
can download them here: http://coldwarkids.com/music.htm
Free music is always a nice thing this way.
100 secret canadians
It took them eleven years but now it is time to
celebrate: One of our favorite record labels, Secretly Canadian (Magnolia
Electric Co, Frida Hyvonen, David Vandervelde, etc.) will release it’s
hundredth release this month and of course it is a compilation. But this one is
18 artists covering each other’s songs. www.secretlycanadian.com
Return of the 30th Century Man
A documentary of the life and works
of Scott Walker, the blonde teenage darling turned sophisticated artist turned
really far out (or, as the info has it: “from his early days as a jobbing bass
player on the Sunset Strip, through mega-stardom in Britain’s swinging 60’s
pop scene as lead singer of The Walker Brothers, to his evolution into one of
the most astonishing soundmakers of the last few decades”) will be released in
April of this year. There is an impressive list of contributors one way or
another: David Bowie, Radiohead, Jarvis Cocker, Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, Neil
Hannon, Alison Goldfrapp, Sting, Dot Allison, Simon Raymonde, Richard Hawley,
Rob Ellis, Johnny Marr, Gavin Friday, Lulu, Peter Olliff, Angela Morley, Ute
Lemper, Ed Bicknell, Evan Parker, Benjamin Biolay, Hector Zazou, Mo Foster, Phil
Sheppard, Pete Walsh. More infos at www.scottwalkerfilm.com
Return of the Wagonmaster
If you know him for nothing but wearing the most
elaborate Nudie-suits in the Sixties and Seventies then behold, because I plan
to have the same epitaph as him: Porter Wagoner, who became a legend by singing
“I’m richer by far / with a satisfied mind.” And as he was due, he will
release an album of ragged songs on Anti this year. Plus, it will contain a lost
song written by Johnny Cash for Wagoner. www.anti.com
That Dog
It’s just small print but it gets us very excited: on June 5th Shellac will release a new album: “Excellent Italian Greyhound” on Touch & Go Records. It will either be a concept album about the wonders of public transport in Europe or will have 13 songs about different breeds of dogs and their respective dis- and advantages. Right on. www.touchandgorecords.com
The
Gutter Twins about to start
That Greg
Dulli (Afghan Whigs, Twilight Singers) and Mark Lanegan
(Screaming Trees, Lanegan Band, various collaborations) are two lost souls
sharing one vision has been proven by their wonderful collaboration on the
Twilight Singers EP “A stitch in time”. (I haven’t had the opportunity to
check out the new album “Powder Burns”, but I will - promised.) They have
intensified their work together and will release an album together under the
moniker of “Gutter Twins”. Which, of course, is a hint at the Jagger /
Richards producer pseudonym Glitter Twins. Once again, I am very excited.
Brambilla
in round four
Old punk stock Brambilla from Vienna are working on their fourth record currently. Apparently a picture 12” playing on 45 rpm. Probably spent too much enegery on the double 12” with remixes that came out last year or the year before that. To be released on Bloodhsed in the summer. www.med-user.net/brambilla
Get
Gallon Drunk
Gallon drunk rerelease of their first three albums on
April 2nd 2007 on Sartorial records, all with additional tracks. To coincide
with the releases Gallon Drunk will play live at the Spitz, Commercial St.
London E1 on Friday April 6th. A new Gallon Drunk LP will be recorded in March
for release late summer 2007 on the Fred Label.
New conspiracy stuff ahead for noise fiends
Conspiracy records announced their release
schedule for the first half of 2007. Some might add that they are really early,
but the wait was definitely worth it. Aside from the Fear Falls
Burning split with Nadja, that we already heard about there will be
releases by the mighty Jesu “Conqueror” (CD/2xLP in various colours), the
drone bliss of Growing (CD/2xLP in black or blue), the re-release of the
Isis-debut “celestial” on doubly vinyl, an album’s worth of unreleased and
rare stuff by Pleasure Forever titled “Bodies need rest”, a CD by the
avant-rockers Skull Defekt named “Blood Spirits & Drums are singing” and
finally a seven inch by Joe Preston-project Thrones. www.conspiracyrecords.com
Free Tim Fite
Tim Fite’s new album “over the
counter culture” is available now for free on his website. The man who brought
us the legendary “Heaven’s to betsy / the man’s out to get me / he’s
fucking my wife / while he’s stealing my money / the rich get richer and us
poor don’t get shit / except shit on by rich men and shit on by women and shit
on by everyone shitting” has a bunch full of new tunes, somewhere between
white trash hip hop and mountain recluse songwriter. And he won’t never shut
up none. http://www.timfite.com/otcc_download.html
20 years of Scum
Earache will celebrate the 20th
anniversary of Napalm Death’s scum with a special DVD/CD-package of this
legendary record. 20 years? How time flies... www.earache.com
Nadja for free
As an hors d’oeuvre to the upcoming Nadja-CD on
Foreshadow records a free internet single called “basefluid” with 32 minutes
(!) playing time was released. One track is from the album and the other one is
exclusive. Dronefiends, get it here: http://www.basefluid.foreshadow.pl/
Dekorder gets into
Norwegian freak folks
If you loved the two albums by Kuupuu on Dekorder (and
who didn’t), you will get all ticklish by hearing that there are more releases
planned thematically circling around the praised Norwegian freak folk scene (and
I guess it is the self-distilled moonshine they have up there that helps the
scene mostly): full length albums by Uton “Alitaju Ylimina” and Tomutonttu
“Ehdottelee” and a split by Aosuke and Black To Comm.
That is a change in direction for the label, but a deserved focus shift, to say
the least. www.dekorder.com
A new compilation in the Dhyanalogy
Dhyana records seems to be heading towards a new
release of what I like them the most for: their incredulous, fabulous,
miraculous compilations. I never know where they find artists like Reebosound, Inox Kapell,
Rokko Anal, Thomas O. Huber, Doghouse, Hinterlandt,
Ohmkill, Apotosis, Sputnik Booster and about 30 (!) more that are announced for
the next as of yet unnamed compilation. Holy maccaroni. www.dhyanarecords.com
More lathelight, please
Lathelight, the offspring of Scarcelight records, run
by Chris Jeely, is starting the new year with a bunch of releases by projects,
all of which Jeely coincidentally is contributing to: An 8” EP by The Northern
Rattle, a 7” picture disc by Accelera Deck and an LP plus casette package by The Trust Riots
(sending such a package with the post usually destroys the vinyl for sure –
let’s see how they get around this). Next out on Scarcelight will be a Birchville Cat
Motel & Cheapmachines CD. Great stuff, check it out at: http://www.scarcelight.org/
New Shellac ahead
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but rumours are
densifying about a new album by the trio ever since Touch & Go re-released
the Big Black back catalogue. Does that mean anything in particular? Not really.
Does it make us tickle and twitch with anticipation? Of course.
Stelzer in the
Jazzkammer
In 2004 Howard Stelzer did a tour with Jazzkammer,
which is Lasse Marhaug and John Hegre. Now they released a little CD to
commemorate the event, which is called “Tomorrow no one will be safe” and
features one track by each artist and one they did as a trio. Available at www.iheartnoise.com
Fear Falls Burning at Conspiracy
Vidna Obama aka Fear Falls Burning has joined the conspiracy label roster. Ahead are collaborations with Nadja, Birchville Cat Motel and a solo album. All in the print run of 1.000 pieces. By the way, conspiracy records have installed a new website including a forum and some nifty features for their mailorder. www.conspiracyrecords.com
Interstellar Festival 2007 splits
The Interstellar Festival has announced
location, date and participants and it looks as if we are in for a treat for
sure: on 30th of March Dyse, Tigrova Mast and Todesstern will perform in
Innsbruck at the PMK with Herbst doing the DJ. On the day afterwards, 31st of
March Dyse and Tigrova Mast will drive to Linz to join Men Killing Men at the
Kapu with Marc9 on the turntables. www.interstellarrecords.at
Avia Gardner on Mill Farm
The collaboration between Mitchell Akiyama
(Desormais,
intr_version) and Jenna Robertson named Avia Gardner
is spawning new results: a full album called „Mill Farm“ is to be released
on intr_version right about now. I hope they’ll be able once more to conjure
up dreams of the lost moments of the beginning of last century mixed with
beautiful electronica noises and scraping strings. www.intr-version.com
YoLaTengo EP without me
Yo La Tengo will release a Live-EP following their
great „I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass“ double album last
year on Matador, but – after about fifteen years of buying every official
released by this wonderful band – I won’t be in to join the fun. Because it
is exclusive to iTunes. No, I don’t want to open an iTunes account or buy some
anonymous mp3-files and I think that Steve Jobs is rich enough already and in
general I think this sucks. www.matadorrecords.com
New Room To Expand for Hauschka
Composer / pianist Volker Bertelmann aka Hauschka will release an album on Fat Cat’s 130701 imprint for experimental stuff called „Room To Expand“.
New Dilemmas in terstellar
Richie, one of the masterminds behind Interstellar Records opened up a new playground for himself and his faible for noisy soundscapes: Dilemma Records will start in February and the first vinyl only releases will be available in April or March and those will be 12" es by Black Boned Angel and Markus Decker respectively. www.dilemmareocords.com
Moreover there are some more records to be released on Interstellar, such as a BUG / GODSENTUS (feat. remixes by madam strang und nsa) 10inches (in cooperation with hirntrust grind media), the supernova 2 double10inch compilation and a MENKILLINGMEN 12inch. Wowza! www.interstellarrecords.com
Stelzer blogged
Howard Stelzer entered the area called blogosphere with his own addition to endless ramblings of millions of people that make up that area, but since we know Howard Stelzer his Stone Blind Blog oughta be something different and interesting. Check it out at: http://stoneblind.blogspot.com
KK super super Null
He is definitely the double 0 amongst noise avantgardists and he has been so for a long time: Kazayuki K. Null, who all of you know, I guess. His usually heavy schedule of touring and releasing offers a few real diamonds this time of the year: Such as his collaboration with Keiji Haino called „Mamono“ (on Blossoming noise) which brings together two „noise-legends“. Then there is a collaboration with drummer Daniel Menche called „Raijin“ on Asphodel, another one with Alexei Borisov („Xenoglossia“ on Electroclub), then a solo-CD („Kosmista Noisea“ on Important Records) and finally – drumroll, please – a new full length studio album by the legendary ANP called „Metacompound“ (also on Important). The first full length in 20 years, with a packaging by Stephen O’Malley. Double Wow.
New Neurosis in May
Neurosis have entered the studio to record a new album (engineered by Steve Albini.) Says Steve von Till: „…forging some strange, noisy, psychedelic territory that is pretty disturbing.“ Well, aren’t they all. Title to be announced, but to be released in May. With the summer just around the corner.
Free explosions in the sky
In 2005 the Texas band Explosions in the Sky took refuge in a house to write 14 songs in 14 days and then record and mix them in the next 14. It turned out to be eight songs in eight days and the album was released under the name of „The Rescue“. Maybe one of the members of the band had to break free from the constraining routine to help a lost kitten off a tree thereby breaking the basic idea of a song per day or something. Anyway, the way the music sounds it were basically slow and tender days and everything went fine. Especially now that they are giving away the music for free as mp3s on their website under the header: albums. www.explosionsinthesky.com Enjoy.
Re-Sealute the Fuzz
After 20 years Glitterhouse have re-released their very first record-release in album length: the compilation "declaration of fuzz". It has been out of print and gone for a long long time, but now it is available again on CD. Fans of sixties breat trash or bands like Miracle Workers, Boys from Nowhere or Broken Jug cry out with joy. www.glitterhouse.com
Skin
Graft Salutes Seekers Stormtrooping Strange Sentiments in Seismologic
In their usual slow pace Skin Graft has released a couple of astounding records in the last months or is planning to in the coming months. Such as Koenjihyakkei "Viva Koenji!" (that is Tatsuya Yoshida's new band), Made in Mexico "Zodiac Zoo" (w/ ex members of Arab on Radar, La Machine and Bossman), Aids Wolf versus Athletic Automaton, Holy Smokes "Tell your kids about gangs" (members of Hella, Flying Luttenbachers and Pinback) and some more. Then they did some re-issues of stuff by thw Ruins, Quintron, Arab on Radar and especially recommended the Dazzling Killmen. info and shop at www.skingraftrecords.com
Frontier News
On the website of Frontier Records it says that
The Replacements have re-united, which is good news for all the Paul Westerberg
fans out there, which is plenty. It also says that The Pontiac Brothers have
re-united, which is good news for me, because I always liked their “Doll
Hut” record a lot, but never got copies from their other records until
everything went blurry and seemed like a distant rumour anyway.
All Tomorrow’s Cave Parties
The next ATP in Butlins, Minehead to be staged
in April 2007 and curated by the Dirty Three will be headlined by Nick Cave
in a solo performance. The infamous Grinderman may also play the event. On a
related note, the Nightmare before Christmas-show will be curated by Thurston
Moore. Is that the new trend for ageing alternative superstars – curating
festivals? Well, allright then.
Want to fly Tupolev
Tupolev, the fine avant-garde songwriter orchestra collective from Austria just finished recording their new album, now they are looking for a label to release it. If you run a label our know someone who does (and might be interested), please get in touch with tupolev@gmx.at
Swearing at motorists for free in
the underground
When Dave Doughman got exhausted
from mixing the last SAM-album in Germany and planned to go make some extra
money by playing to passengers in the subway station nearby he ended up
recording songs for the album there. Then he liked them so much he put them out
for free as an mp3 album available here: http://www.secretlycanadian.com/onesheet.php?cat=SC158
It is called “Exile on Gipsstrasse” and only available during the fall tour
of Swearing at motorists.
Free autres directions
Autres directions in music is releasing a free mp3 EP with outtakes and
remixes from long-time label act Depth Affect, who have psyched us with their debut EP
“mesquin” as well as the proper CD-album “arche-lymb” and their unique
blend of electronica and abstract hip hop beats. This EP is called “John
Cassettes” and contributors, collaborators and reworkers include Mitchell
Akiyama, Melodium, D_Rradio, Off the sky and others. Available at www.autresdirections.net/inmusic.
Upcoming autres directions news include a new album by Melodium
“music for invisible people” and a remix-EP by Atone.
Jules for a free autumn
Marsen Jules is always prolific. So now he has a myspace-site (who hasn’t?) here: http://www.myspace.com/marsenjulestrioyara and there is a wonderful track for free here: http://www.marsenjules.de/coeursaignant/ . It is a special version of the track "coeur saignant" featuring musicians from Trio Yara on 2 violins.
Valina rule the world
Or at least, they are on tour again
beginning in September, hitting Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain, Belgium,
Netherlands, Germany and Austria on their way. Go see them, it is recommended.
As they say: “less rock than you can handle”. More infos at www.valina.at
Isis and Aerogramme Fishtanked
On September the 25th the next issue
of the great collaboration series “In the Fishtank” will be released and it
will feature Isis and Aerogramme. There are 1.000 vinyl copies available (some
in blue vinyl, as if that mattered) and a MCD. Everything once again from
Konkurrent.
That’s a fucking great deal, thank you,
lemonasshole!
Believe it or not, the Lemonheads are releasing
a new record. A self-titled album on Vagrant records. And what a funny record
company that is. They send out a promotion mail with “Click on amazon.com and
neatly place a full album stream in your amazon player.” So, I think, great, I
can take a listen to it before it comes out into the stores in three weeks.
Nope, if you buy the album from amazon.com you’ll get a free stream as a
bonus. Huh? But then I have the CD and I don’t need a fuckin’ stream. I can
listen to it in good quality from my CD-player. Great promotion idea, dudes.
And on top the record company has found a
“leak” on an “aol”-blog where an mp3 of the record was posted. Oh,
really? Don’t believe a word, all of this was obviously paid for. AOL might
even belong to the same company that Vagrant belongs to (Time Warner? I don’t
have any details…) And suddenly, oh my, the same
song appeared on the myspace-site of the Lemonheads. Who do you think you are
fooling?
Now, what does the remaining Lemonhead Evan Dando say
to all this? Nothing, but that mp3 reminds of the “Shame about Ray”-days.
And those were good days. Somehow. Less marketing involved in everything and
more focus on the music.
Mp3 is here: http://www.aolmusicindie.com/2006/08/22/dandos-got-no-backbone-and-weve-got-the-mp3-to-prove-it/
Vagrant is here: www.vagrant.com
Don’t even bother to visit the Lemonheads Blog,
because it is a corporate fake. www.thelemonheads.com
Talk about Hobotalk
Rumours are out that Marc Pilley is putting finishing touches on a new album by Hobotalk. I can't wait.
No fun without Dhyana
After quite a long wait there is a new release on Dhyana Records: "Ohne Musik Macht Es Keinen Spass" (no fun without music) by genial diletante Roland Schneider contains one CD(R) with songs and remixes (one done by Doghouse) and one DVD with a 35 minute movie.Available at www.dhyanarecords.com. There are some new releases in the pipeline as well, but no word to them yet.
Wait no more for waits
orphans
Tom Waits will release a 3CD-set on Anti-records in
November called “Orphans: brawlers, bawlers and bastards” which collects
amongst its 54 songs various rarities, 30 new recordings, some cover versions
(Weil, Leadbelly, Daniel Johnston, …) and a large booklet.
Get more narrominded
Narrowminded have two new releases out: Boutros Bubba
is the new name of what once was Quarles van Ufford and their first EP is called
“Hearing voicst in a beer commercial makes me wanna get drunk” and sounds
exactly like that and nothing at all like it at the same time: delirious. And
“How to explain de flipstand to a friend” by Pfaff is described as
experimental indie. Both for free download at www.narrominded.com
Pre-Listen Modern Times
Download 20sec snipps in one big file for the
upcoming 44th Dylan studio album here: http://rapidshare.de/files/26277176/Modern_Times_Prehear.mp3
A capella on Silver Rockets
Release 26 on the premier alternative label from
Czech republic is an all-female a capella band called Kackala. They sing with
fervor and spirit and humour. Obviously, it’s not noiserock, but you don’t
care about that, do you? More info at www.silver-rocket.org or www.kackala.cz. Including some mp3.s
Mad Mödling
12rec announced a compilation singularly on bands / projects from Mödling. This will include some well known names in our ambience such as Alexandr Vatagin, Tupolev, Peter Holy, Ippolit, Lukas Scholler and others. Really, who would have thought the absolute centre of snootiness in the Viennese "Speckgürtel", the place were expensive cars and reckless driving go hand in hand, were drug peddling is the among the highest ranks of teenagers earning money (the others are winning golf trophies and selling something on the internet), were 85 % would vote for monarchy to be installed again, would have a musical scenery that rich. www.12rec.net
Rock Hammer Hard
The two main heavy metal mags from Germany, Rock Hard and Metal Hammer, this month feature exclusive (!) interviews and frontpages with the one and only Slayer, who are nearing the finalization of their next album. Songtitles are ready, obviously, but there is neither a title nor a release date available yet. If that game is the same as usual it might take 6 month to a year till that one comes out, but in comparison, that would be quite fast. Think about it, Tom Araya is 45 years old and getting grey hair. We are excited nevertheless.
Modern Dylan Times
The most important release this year, probably,
but maybe also the biggest disappointment – the announcement of a new album by
Bob Dylan
himself is a promise and a threat of the most extreme measures. Anyway, we are
looking forward to “Modern Times”, which will be released sometime in
August. Unlike Johnny
Cash, were the survivors are flogging the dead horse as if there was
no tomorrow (and maybe there isn’t), Bob Dylan is fortunately still alive.
Reflector shields ready
It is being praised before release so heavily
and their show at the ruin festival apparently so good, I have to announce it:
Interstellar and Noise Appeal records have released the new full length album by
Reflector called “Phantoms”. More info and mp3 at www.interstellarrecords.at
and www.noiseappeal.com
Jules Flowers
Marsen Jules has a new record out called “Les
Fleurs” and it should offer some “warm and colourful summer in tranquil
relaxation”. We hope it is a nice floral addendum to his “herbstlaub”
(autumn leaves) album. A theme is there. You can have a first listen at www.boomkat.com.
Another record called “golden” is coming up on Genesungswerk.
Free Cock Rock Disco
Electro/Punk-dadaists Cock Rock Disco are
starting a monthly free mp3-download because “hey, everybody loves free”.
June starts off with whopping 48 minutes by About, Stunt Rock, Assdroids, etc. Available until
June 16th. (uups, gone already ….) Check www.cockrockdisco.com
for more info and updates.
Mixed news in a scarce light
Scarcelight Records is starting heftily into the year 2006. There is a split 8"ep (everybody loves Peter King, right?) with Ramses and The Trust Riots, Accelera Deck's new "landslide of stars" and an as of yet unnamed one by Birchville Cat Motel. The distribution of likeminded material called Floodlight had unfortunately to be cancelled, obviously because there ain't enough people to be interested in good, outstanding music that challenges them. Shame on you. Nevertheless with Lathelight a new limited edition lathe-cut only label started as a sister to scarcelight with upcoming releases from Motorway (8"), Accelera Deck (8") and a compilation (12") with kohoutek, Comrade and the Trust Riots. more info at www. scarcelight.org.
My way my love coming my (and your) way
A new release on Trost records keeps us holding our breaths: My Way My Love from Japan play a distinctive, rocking and eclectic mix of synth-pop, punk and noise-rock that gaps the bridge between Sonic Youth and Melt Banana with ease. Their second CD will be released in Europe on Trost and is called "it is but one of billions of galaxies in your universe!". Available now at www.trost.at and well-sorted record-stores all over.
New field muzick
Fieldmuzick has two new CDRs: one is weaving carpets of noise by gisela and the other is label-owner Marcus Obst for the first time releasing under his own real name with some tracks of street noise. The CDRs are limited to 50, but they will turn into free mp3-releases as soon as the discs are gone. More info at: http://www.fieldmuzick.net
Nitro Burning Demo
If you don’t know Nitro Mahalia you missed
out. Named after a famous multilingual, female shopping mall bomber from India
who was born in Asia and later on made a small career playing bass in a
noise-rockband from Chicago that once opened up for the Cows with that one guy
from Love666 stepping in on the keyboards and protested against the killing of
seal babies by eating nothing but spring rolls for a year (or something like
that) this three-piece has a cool 4-song demo available at http://nitromahalia.net (under Creative Commons something) as
a hors d’oeuvre for
the upcoming full length album. It is fresh, it is burning and it is definitely
right up your alley.
Sonic Youth Rather Ripped
It’s just the title of the new album. Sonic Youth’s
“Rather Ripped” will be released in June on Geffen. On June 6th,
to be exact. Get it? A vinyl album version will be released by the band’s own
Goofin’ Records label. Once again, it will contain 12 songs. June is a good
month, the buzz around Pearl Jam’s new album will have blown off and the
frontpages are free for Sonic Youth again. That’s clever marketing! Like
selling your indie/alt/experimental label off to the Universal Music Group.
Bulbul re-Nulled
During the Interferenz-festival in Linz two
titans clashed: Bulbul
played together with KK
Null. Great, I missed that. But because both sides liked the session
so much, they might do it again later this year, possibly summer. Superduper!
On a different note: the legendary BlllBlll-tape
has been (re?)released by imvated. See www.imvated.be
New Kris Kristofferson record ahead
When I was a kid, I had a tape that had Johnny Cash,
Jerry Lee Lewis and Kris Kristofferson on it. Wow, that still rocks my mind.
“This Old Road” is the first studio album by Kris Kristofferson in 11 years.
The title track is great, stripped down, basic singer/songwriter stuff by a man
who turned from Billy The Kid to Superstar to vampire hunter and never blinked
an eye or lost his cool. Listen to it on www.kriskristofferson.com
and then go and buy the album.
Mags are in the air
For some reason the start of two new music
magazines will happen in the next weeks in Austria. Already at the printer’s
is BIG LOAD (www.bigload.at) which features noise, noiserock,
avantnoise and some other kinds of noise in a dense and fashionably
unfashionable manner. First issue will include Bulbul,
Rock Is Hell, constellation records, some rants (e.g. by yours truly) and loads
of reviews. Cover prices will be reasonable. The other one is a free paper
called TBA, which will feature the cream of alternative rock and pop and
electronic in the cloak of a somewhat stylish newspaper. Further issues are up
ahead the road.
Praise the lord, I saw the scarcelight
Soon enough, two new releases by Scarcelight
will be available, both very interesting. One is a Ramses III / Trust Riots
split 8” lathe cut done by the invaluable Peter King from New Zeeland (were
everyone from Dhyana
to Rock Is Hell have their 8”es made). Other one is the new incarnation (after
how many?) of Accelera
Deck with Zach Evans on drums and Chris Jeely singing and playing
guitar. What will it sound like? “The way it should sound like” says Jeely.
For more info visit www.scarcelight.org
Back to the roots for Depth Affect and others
Autres directions in music has announced that
the next steps after their release of the fabulous Depth Affect-album
“arche-lymbe” (ft. collaborations with Alias / Anticon and Cyne / City
Centre Offices) will be a free mp3-EP by Depth Affect with outtakes and remixes.
After that there will be a proper CD release with the first album by Atone. Get
more info and music at www.autresdirections.net/music
Dhyana is coming up
Dhyana records had to remain from too heavy hustling lately because of various reasons which lay out of the realm of control of the people and the dog running the label, has now announced some more plans for this year. These include a video with Roland Schneider downloadable from their website soon. Schneider seems to have become a major liebkind of the label - see below. If you know what is behind the hype, check out their website. Moreover they are in the act of signing what seems to be the satanic death duo of kitschy schlager music: Sylvia & Roland. Sounds like the Cindy & Bert from hell to me. And maybe there will be a book (as book on demand or pdf) available before summer. Don't you just love those small labels doing whatever the fuck suits their fancy. I sure do. Excitement is rising. More info at www.dhyanarecords.com
More rock is hell 2006 ahead
Jochen from Rock Is Hell records is a right freak, but a truly good guy and these are his plans for the upcoming year: A different version to Nate Denver's Neck's ones-sided album "No One Is Coming To Help You" with an added 10" lathe cut in an edition of 33. Another lathe cut, this one a 5" by Octis called "Mithring" in an edition of 50 and then a Nate Denver's Neck triple 3"-CDR in an edition of 80. Right on! More tentative plans for the year include a lathe cuts in as of yet undecided formats or editions by Total Shutdown and OCS and a boxset of undefined proportions by Bulbul. more info at www.rockishell.com
Single Clinic for free
On 7th of February the new single by The Clinic will be available FOR FREE(!) and exclusively via www.clinicvoot.com including a b-side, a video and the artwork. The single is called "Tusk" and I hope that doesn't mean it is a cover by Fleetwood Mac (which Camper Van Beethoven have done before - the whole album, actually, but who except for me is gonna remember that anyway.)
EKO on
Eko is a new net-label founded by Alexandre
Navarro from Paris, France, for the purpose of spreading contemporary minimal
electronic / acoustic music. Plans for the future include a real label called
SEM. First release is a 6song+1video album by Letna called “Morning Sun”.
Downloadable here: www.navarro.eu.com/eko Future artists will
include Karras, Koutaro Fukui, Kenneth Kirschner, Andy Graydon and others.
Moonlee bilked
Moon Lee Records (see Don’t mess with Texas,
Lunar and Analena)
will release a new record by Croatian three-piece Bilk. They have won a newcomer
prize in Graz, Austria, and state to have a heuristic approach to music. If
either of the two means anything to you. From the two songs downloadable on the
Moon Lee Website (www.moonleerecords.com) it is going to be hitting
electro rock that takes its cues from anything from Kraftwerk to Killing Joke
and from there to the dancefloor and the upstairs for a drink. Ups, I hope that
wasn’t a review already.
Grandaddy is gone
Frontman of scruffy indie-rock band Grandaddy
announced that their upcoming album “Just like the Fambly Cat” (V2) will be
their last and then it is over. Future plans include working at hot dog stands,
becoming vegetarians, general hanging about and maybe something with music if it
comes along. Well, they had some nice indie-hits here and there. Moreover,
fifteen years is a long time for a granddaddy.
Death Cab for Video
Death Cab for Cutie are one of those indie-rock
bands that for unknown reasons were hurled from the underground maelstrom into
the light of the public sphere. That’s something only explainable by chaos
theory. Anyway, they are now putting their fame and fortune to good use by
realizing ideas that seem a little off-hand at first sight. Like producing a
video for each and every song on their last album “Plans” (out on Atlantic,
which is a major label, which is why I never listened to it. But I somehow liked
one of their earlier records) including the vinyl only bonus track. This is
either a bad case of Gesamtkunstwerk
or of the inability to judge your own importance correctly. Anyway, if the label
hands out the money and it doesn’t break the band, go ahead young lads!
Schneider frenzy over Dhyana Records
Some people you see the fascination not right away. Bernd Spring from Dhyana Records has found his with Roland Schneider, who is like the German Vic Chesnutt, only he is a little mentally disturbed not physically, can't play guitar all that well, doesn't know any English though he sings it, and likes to make up his songs on the spot. Mister Spring has recorded a few hours of material with Mister Schneider's music, which will see the light of day as a release, probably an album. This will also include a part with remixes by various people in some format or other. Maybe a triple 7" with a CDR containing the remixes. Weird? Maybe, but who cares anyway.
Cock Rock Disco for free
Cock Rock Disco records has issued a free cd of
their music downloadable at http://cockrockdisco.com/free.html.
Contains pieces by Food for animals, About, Duran Duran Duran, Pisstank, The
Assdroids, and a slew of others and we think it is the shit.
A five-part 50-foot
wave of pop
50 Foot Wave, the band of Kristin Hersh (Ex-Throwing
Muses), has released a fine 5-song EP to be downloaded for free from http://www.throwingmusic.com/freemusic/ (donations
optional). The band says it was “interesting to ask for your energy and
enthusiasm rather than your money and see what happens.” Cover, lyricsheets
and info included.
Cave scores for
Rock’n’Roll
Walking to the stage for a show at Alexandra
Palace, London, Nick
Cave was approached by a security guard who told him his beer and
cigarettes were against the venue’s rules. "Nick
just said 'Fine, if I can't take a beer on with me, I'm going back to my
dressing room. You can go out there and tell some jokes to entertain the crowd
for three hours.’” Then he and the band turned around and walked back to
their dressing rooms. After an awkward wait, venue authorities backed down and
gave the band a special allowance to take their beers and smokes on stage.
Get more narrominded
Two new interesting records announced on
Narrominded records: “vlokken” by Living Ornaments and a self-titled one by
Makazoruki. I wouldn’t write this, if the mp3s available on www.narrominded.com
weren’t promising. A free mp3-download-album by Quarles van Ufford called
“aurakramp” and another one by Psychon Troopers is also available right now.
fielded music
The small but very fine German label field muzieck
(http://www.fieldmuzick.net) will start a 3“-CD series next
year starting with a collaboration between Maura Benegiamo and Daniele Cortese
titled “The Singing Journey”. Sounds exciting. They have also added a blog about field
recordings to their website, so if you are interested in that field of music (no
pun intended! Ah, maybe it was …) be sure to check it out.
Born to run on and on an on
They mythification of Bruce Springsteen’s
“Born To Run” is culminating now at the 30th anniversary of the
albums release (after 15 months of painful recording in weeklong 18-hour
sessions) with the release of the original album in a set with two DVDs – one
a concert movie of his first appearance in England (at the Hammersmith Odeon in
1975) and a documentary of the making of the record (called “wings on
wheels”). Consequently, this is not a remastered version of the album. How
could you make a true masterpiece any better?
Bonnie Prince Tortoise
Word is out about a cover-versions project
between Will
Oldham (aka Palace, Bonnie Prince Billy and a slew of others,…) and Tortoise,
where they’ll do songs together from various decades of popular music, amongst
them Bruce
Springsteen (Thunder Road), Elton John (Daniel), Devo (That’s
Pep!), Lungfish, Don Williams, Minutemen and some others. To be released in
January 2006 and announced title is: “the brave and the bold”. How fitting.
Merz-series continues
Do we really need information on Masami Akita
releasing another record? Well, I don’t know. But with “Merzbuta” (buta
meaning pig in Japanes) the Merz-series of Merzbow on
Important records gets into another lock after “Merzbird”, “Merzbuddha”
and “Merzbeat” (and maybe some others we missed out on) and I am just
wondering what might be next. How about “Merzprawn”, “Merzboat” or
“Merz-Schmerz”?
Coke White
Jack White has written a song for Coke, that ist he
Coca Cola Beverages Company. In his own words the song is about “love and the
world” and he preferred to “write a song which interests me as a
songwriter” instead of Coke using one he’d already written. I actually
wondered more about White calling himself a songwriter, but I guess that’s a
broad definition.
A big Scarcelight on number 50
Favourite noise-avant-experimentalism label Scarcelight
will release a monster for their number 50 release: a DVD-R with everything
released between 2003 and 2005 (that includes all the CDRs as well) plus
live-recordings of current and upcoming artists (that includes Accelera Deck,
Birchville Cat
Motel, EBSK,
Evol, Freiband, Merzbow, Psychon, Violet,
among many others) on the label. Over ten hours of music. If that behemoth
don’t blow your mind, nothing ever will.
Epitaph defends position as biggest
punkrock-company with new marketing ploy
Ever since the KISS-army record companies have
loved the idea of getting kids out to do unpaid (yeah, they get some merch and
CDs) promotional work. Epitaph, the biggest punkocklabel in all the world, now
also starts their own e-team, including scorecards for work done and everything.
For the kids it seems to be a great idea to get affiliated with their favourite
company, for the marketing department it is a great non-classical promotional
tool and for the financial department it is the greatest thing of all because it
is unpaid for and a way to get rid of old stock. After a time the idea of
getting your friends to buy the new CDs by the Horror-Pops or Millencollin in
exchange for some stickers starts to get a little stale.
Fogerty back at Fantasy
It is one of music history’s ugliest stories
about greed and hatred that now might come to an end due to the ongoing process
of concentration in the music industry. Widely is it known that John Fogerty,
main singer, songwriter and producer of CCR-classics such as “Proud Mary” or
“Fortunate Son” and about three dozen of other timeless songs, never saw a
pretty penny from them, due to a very unfortunate contract that gave away all
his copyrights to the record-label’s owner Saul Zaentz. Lawsuits, failed
tax-shelter deals, Zaentz suing Fogerty for $ 140 million because “Old man
down the road” was too close to “Run to the Jungle” (Basically Fogerty
impeding copyrights to a song he wrote himself) and Fogerty answering with songs
like “Mr. Greed” or “Vanz can’t danz” and artistic hiatus for Fogerty
for decades. Now Fantasy was sold to the Concord music group – making another
fortune for Zaentz – and the company while not giving copyrights back to
Fogerty, at least re-arranged the royalties-deal so that Fogerty will see a fair
share of the money his music is making. Moreover, new recording dates, records
and DVDs have been announced.
Punking the country on vegetable wheels
Piebald have converted their touring van to vegetable
oil completely for environmental reasons and oil prices. They have travelled
this vegetable oil powered machine through the country for quite some time now
and are quite happy. Their friends at www.greasenotgras.com are quite
happy and I find that good also, if it weren’t for metaphors used in reviews
such as “gas-drenched full on power punkrock” that just don’t sound so
good if substituted by vegetables.
Best of both worlds at Merge
It has to be the indie-labels showing how to
work the new times. Merge Records (Superchunk, Arcade Fire, Lampchop,
3rd Eye Foundation, Neutral Milk Hotel and dozens of others) will
provide buyers of the new Clientele-album “Strange Geometry” with a coupon
that entitles them to one free download of the entire album in mp3-format to
peruse on their ipods and computers. That’s great news for the masses of
people with no idea how to get their beloved vinyls onto digital.
Leaving the vaults
It seems as if The Godfathers will re-unite, if
only for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of their
“Valentine’s Day Massacre”-Events. To explain: For years The Godfathers
played their home-club The Marquee in Wardour Street London annually on
Ferbruary 14th, always a sell-out occasion of their raw live energy
and a legend in itself to this day.
Entering the vaults
Seems as if the musicindustry found a new by-line to tighten their profits on little expense by attracting music-buyer-dropouts (those over 30 years old that only want to listen to their great memories from way back then) with special editions, enhanced packages and super deluxe re-releases of old albums. So no 7-CD-boxes by one band, but just one album with a truckload of special features attached. Some of them are great, I admit. After Sonic Youth’s “Goo”, there will be Springsteen’s “Born To Run”, John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Siouxise and the Banshees “The Scream” to hit the racks. More to come for sure.
Psychoon Troopers land bimonthly
From October 2005 to October 2006 Narrominded
will release an album by psychedelia-meets-avanelectronica masters Psychon (Troopers) every two months as a free download and they will only
be available during their two month online. The first one is for free and it is
the great “morning is eclectic” album from this year. A good occasion to get
to know this great band. www.narrominded.com
Entombed .. well, tombed
Ulf Cederlund aka Uffe aka Monster, one
guitarist of Entombed,
has called it quits. On amicable terms as it has been said. Entombed will carry
on as a four piece. A new album is set for next year.
Avanto
for kids
The legendary Avanto-festival in Helsinki, Finland,
will be placed from November 18th to 20th with among others Blixa Bargeld, Hiaz,
It’s not fair!, Jandek, Staalplaat Soundsystem, Sudden Infant, Vaaralliset
Lelut and others as well as movies and exhibitions. New and a great idea is a
kid’s part at the festival, were Austrian theatre troupe Toxic Dreams will do
a reworking of Alice in Wonderland called Jabberwocky, Staalplaat will show the
kids how to build instruments from household items and music workshops. www.avantofestival.com
Jello/Melvins hit it again
Their first pairing resulted in a great punkrock
explosion and now Alternative Tentacles will release a second album filled with
Jello Biafra singing and the Melvins providing the dense carpet of punkrock
sounds to surf on. “Sieg Howdy!” will feature some new songs, some cover
versions (Alice Cooper, Dead Kennedy’s) and some remixes by Al Jourgensen
(wow, he is still alive!?). Sounds like a lil’ cash-in with leftovers from the
session for “don’t
breathe what you can’t see” but who the heck gives a flying fuck
anyway. www.alternativetentacles.com
Suicide Girls lose blood and S/M
Due to investigations by the FBI and being
warned about certain risks to the owners of the website, the ever appreciated
Suicide Girls have removed all pictures showing fake blood or imagery that could
be taken as sado-masochistic from the website. The reason being a new “war on
porn” taskforce within the FBI and their broad interpretation of “deviant”
imagery which could be used to construct obscenity charges. (I don’t even understand what’s wrong with
good porn (i.e. morally acceptable pornography that is produced on a basis of
consent with no more enforcement and coercion than regular desk work), but the
moral standards of the official USA are completely beyond my scope of
understanding. I prefer a president having oral sex to one raging war on
everything he is unable to understand any day. And this kind of enforced self-cencorship is
way worse than pictures of naked women on a pay site.) www.suicidegirls.com
8bitrecords netlabel closed down
When Thorsten Sideboard, who runs the netlabel
8bitrecords as well as the realworld label Highpoint Lowlife, decided to take
part in the “Grey Tuesday” he had no idea what it would mean to him. “Grey
Tuesday” was a protest day were some 100 labels stood up against the rule
under copyright laws against DJ Dangermouse’ “grey album” (where he mixed
The Beatles’ “White Album” together with Jay-Z’s “black album”). The
album was able for download on all these sites on “Grey Tuesday”. So a lot
of these labels got a letter from the lawyer’s of The Beatles or rather EMI,
who still holds the rights. Unfortunately, Sideboard had the files for download
stored safely on the server of his employer, who took the dissuasion by the
lawyers as a reason to fire him. You can still download great music by artists
such as DoF,
Doghouse,
Donna Summer, Greg Davis, si-cut.db, or The Village Orchestra, to name but a
few.
Nick Cave’s music proposition for movie
New territory for Cave as
he has penned the script for Australian western saga “The Proposition” with
Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone and John Hurt. The plot includes gunfights, love and
betrayal and a set of sociopathic brothers. Of course, he has also recorded the
soundtrack (together with Warren Ellis from the Bad Seeds and Dirty Three),
which will be released on Mute end of October. Rumours has it that cave already
tried script-writing with a draft for “Gladiator II” (of all things, jeez)
which was turned down by producers.
Seven Sioux once again
They have been around 1988 to 1992 and now they
are at it again: Seven Sioux giving it another try. This legendary Austrian
hardcore / punk-band was preferable to the (in retrospect) mainly dumb rest of
the lot due to their integrity, energy, fun and warmth. They came from the
remains of even more legendary bands Stand to Fall and Target of Demand. They
dissolved into some more bands like Schwester, Trümmer sind Steine der
Hoffnung, Grant, and so on. Drummer Huckey is to busy nowadays with the hiphop
outfit Texta, so Pezzey from Dealer / Deadzibel steps in, but the rest is original lineup.
Now, where have I put these old seven inches, so I can re-check their music?
More info at http://www.sevensioux.at.tt/
There goes another good man
Even though he had been accused of accumulating
riches and being only in it for the money, John Loder definitely was on the good
side of things. He started off with a small studio in a garage, where he
recorded amongst others Fugazi’s Margin Walker EP. Best known though might
be his recordings for Crass, The Subhumans, Shellac, Ministry, Jesus and the
Mary Chain, PJ Harvey and many many others. He later on founded Southern Records
and also Southern Distribution, which, despite its strict business practices
also managed to get a lot of good music from a lot of great labels (Dischord,
Merge, Anticon, Ipecac, Kranky, Constellation, Neurot, Southern Lord, and many
more) to a lot of stores and from there to a lot of people. The last years he
suffered the results of a seize caused by a brain tumor. He died in August in a
London hospital with his family around him. http://johnloder.blogspot.com/
A decade of bloodshot sin
To celebrate its tenth birthday main
alt.country-label Bloodshot
Records will celebrate with a double-CD chock full of music, 42 songs
in all; amongst them almost everything that has a name in the genre, like
Sixteen Horsepower, My Morning Jacket, Bobby Bare Jr., Meat Purveyors, Carla
Bozulich, Nine Pound Hammer (Jeez, I didn’t even know these punkers still
existed), Sally Timms, Andre Williams, Old 97’s, and on and on and on. This
list also shows the diverse roster of the label. I still remember their
5-year-celebratory double CD and, man, was it a rocker. www.bloodshotrecords.com
R.L. Burnside dies at 78
He was the first artists on Fat Possum records
and now he is gone. Blues-singer and guitarist R.L. Burnside is dead. I’ll
listen to Ass Pocket Of Whiskey once more in silent thought of all the things
the man lived through in his live before coming to some (small) fame (Grammy
included) at his ripe age. And I pray to the lord for giving T-Model Ford some
more years. www.fatpossum.com
Valina hits the
MidWest (again)
Our friends from Valina are off again to their second US-tour. It’ll
start in Minneapolis (MN) lead them through Jackson (MI), New York (NY),
Knoxville (TN), Indianapolis (IN) and many more cities with cool names back to
St. Paul (MN). For the occasion they have recorded four new songs for an EP
called “Epode”, out in the US now on 54 40 or Fight! and in fall on picture
disc on TROST records. More infos at http://www.trost.at/valina/
The Friendly Magnolia
Electric Co.
We have read that Jason Molina, fronting the great
Magnolia Electric Co., in a show in Philadelphia, where it was really really
hot, wiped out a $100 bill to buy water bottles for everyone. Cool. I like
people like that. Moreover, MEC will release a new EP in October with four new
songs and a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of Londen”. I am beginning
to be excited.
Re-Bauhaused
Okay, let’s see: Gang Of Four, Slint, Echo
& The Bunnymen, Pixies, even stupid Moetly Crue have reunited. And now those
darkrock heroes from the Eighties Bauhaus are at it again. Welcome to my youth,
which I so dearly want to forget all about.
Hooray for Groupies
Part2 of the Bloodhound Gang’s Groupie video
will be released as soon as anyone in there has signed a consent form. So go
here http://www.bloodhoundgang.com/index2.html if you
rocked out at one of their shows, did something dumb or nasty while their cams
were rolling or just want to check if someone you know will be in the vid.
Rock is even more hell
Next release scheduled by Austrian noise-label with the mad production value will be a one-sided LP (that’s vinyl for you CD-suckers) by Nate Denver from Total Shutdown. Check out the first release (Bulbul – “Rosl” 2x5”- vinyl) and second release (Total Shutdown / XBXRX “split” 2x5” vinyl) as well.
Iron Sweden Maiden
What’s this thing about Sweden? (Check the
Mountain Goats’ album of the same title for more information.) End of July
nine of the top ten records in the Swedish album charts went to Iron Maiden.
The old English geezers had a large concert some weeks ago, and now obviously
all the Swedes seem to be buying the backstock.
Hey boss, I need a sonic youth raise!
Sonic Youth announced a remixed and remastered and
expanded re-release of their great “Goo”-album. Awright, remixed and
remastered, whatever – you say – but how expanded exactly will it be? Well,
a 2xCD-set or a 4-LP-set with 8-track-demos, b-sides, coverversions, the
contents of a promo-interview-flexi and a hefty booklet enough for you?
Midnight Choir sees sunlight
The trio around Scandinavian singer/songwriter
Paal Flaata, Alte Byström and Ron Olson is no more. After ten years, five
albums and various singles Midnight Choir has called it quits. To commemorate
Glitterhouse has released a double-CD collected by the band itself for the price
of a single CD. Paal Flaata in the meantime has released his first solo-album
(also on Glitterhouse), so to the friends addicted to his unique grandeur,
epicness and fragility, there is still stuff to come.
Silver Jews come anew
“Tanglewood Numbers”, the upcoming album by the Silver Jews had a hard time a-coming. First mastermind David Berman and engineer Mark Nevers got into a fight over the musical direction of the album, so Nevers wanted to throw it into the Cumberland River. Then the tapes were delivered to a studio in Memphis and on the same day it burned down (the tapes remained unhurt fortunately). On the upside Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich have returned to play on the album alongside guests such as Will Oldham, Bobby Bare Jr., Paz Lenchantin (A perfect circle), Duane Denison and Berman’s wife Cassie. All of that sounds very thrilling. Four years since “Bright Flight” have been way too long.
Dylan starbucked
Starbuck is getting big at selling CDs but then
creeping out if those artists are not as downwashed and mainstream as their own
business. This time it hit Bob Dylan’s recording of a live-concert from 1962
which was recorded (gasp! what a marketing-masterpiece of a brand-fit) at
Gaslight Café in New York. Of course, the CD doesn’t include “Masters of
War” with its line “all the money you made will never buy back your soul.”
Howe at it again
Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand-fame) has formed another
project called Arizona Amp and Alternator with a CD scheduled for release on
Thrill Jockey this fall. No further information yet. I am tickled with
anticipation and excitement.
Ironexico
Iron & Wine and Calexico
have teamed up to re-record some old Iron & Wine tracks for an upcoming EP
on Overcoat records to be released this fall. They will also tour together doing
sets separately and then a grand finale together in the mood of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue.
Major Ripoff
Nike has ripped off the legendary Minor Threat-compilation-cover on Dischord Records for the advertisements to a Nike skating show or contest or something, which is of course not what Dischord wanted. Those Nike-bastards are not ashamed of anything. I hope there is a six-figure cheque in the mail for Dischord.
Update: Nike has pulled all ads using these images. In
their letter of apology they wrote that it was “a poor judgement call and
should not have been executed without consulting Minor Threat and Dischord
records”. Moreover it says that “All of the Nike
employees responsible for the creation of the tour flyer are fans of both Minor
Threat and Dischord records [sic] and have nothing but respect for both."
Yeah, I see those salesmen and CEOs trashing out to “Nic Fit” and
“Straight Edge” in their top level management offices. I put the full text into a
separate file in the comments area, because I wanted to keep this.
Interstellar Overdrive
After taking a little pause or a trip through
outer space or building a new world for themselves on a faraway planet, who
knows?, Interstellar Records come back to us with five (5!) new releases and all
of them sound great: a double 10” compilation featuring Bulbul,
Peach Pit, Merzbow
and Wolfgang Fuchs, a split-Lp in cooperation with Noise Appeal Records by Bug and 27 (of
Hydraheadrecords-fame), a split 10” with GI Joe and Room 204, a double LP by
another French band called Moller Plesset and an album in cooperation with Moon
Lee Records with the great Chang Ffos from Croatia. Wow, I want all of them.
Now. More infos at www.interstellarrecords.at
Calexico junior league
John Covertino, extraordinary drummer mainly for
Calexico,
has become a father. John Holden (ring a bell?) was born on June 1st.
Gratulations.
The Nineties United
On Seven discs issued by Rhino Records: a
massive collection of the “best or whatever” tracks that shaped my live and
most of the reader’s as well I guess. The mix is really eclectic putting REM
right next to the Melvins
followed by Weezer, the Juliana Hatfield Three to Salt’n’Peppa followed by
Aaliyah or even The Mightey Bosstones to Sleater Kinney. It starts off with MC
Hammer, lowpoints include bands you wanted to forget all about such as Hanson,
EnVogue, 4 Non Blondes or Right Said Fred, but also some welcome re-discoveries.
Within 130 songs there has got to be something. So, if you missed out on the
Nineties because you preferred living underneath a rock for a decade when acid
house hit the world in the late Eighties, this is the place to go to get
informed. More info at www.rhino.com
Deep Down Load
Our favourite 2-bass-drone-band Deep have
released a download-album on Pharmacom records. (www.pharmacom-rec.de).
The record is called “Spacwelden” and contains for longish tracks from 7 to
20 minutes each. And it is for free. So go there, download, get bassed.
Monochrom-Blog Cracked
Our lovely hosts, the monochrom collective,
offers an english-spoken blog for its worldwide fans and followers. From now on,
we will add tidbits and infos from the crackerverse to monoversum. Link: www.monochrom.at/english
Those old hardrockers gotta do something, right?
Vince Neil, singer of hardrock-stalwarts Motley
Crue and the man who killed the drummer of Hanoi Rocks in a DUI morning beer-run
vehicular manslaughter, hast joined a venture of winemakers called – what else
– Vince Vineyards, through which he will sell a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and a
Sonoma Chardonnay. Didn’t Tommy Lee recently come out with a variety of hot
sauces? And what about Nikki Sixx’ clothing line? By the way: the Moetly Crue
have a new best of-album out with some new songs on it, but who cares in the
light of the aforementioned news.
Rubins and Diamonds
I promised it would come some day and now it has
happened: Rick Rubin has finished producing a record with platinum-winning
not-really-rockstar Neil Diamond. (Now it seems to pay of that I went on
pestering people with that “Stones”-album, never caring about the estranged
looks I’d get.) The album is, thank goodness, mostly acoustic and Neil Diamond
is joined by Smokey Hormel (who played with Johnny Cash, Tom Waits and Beck) and Mike Campbell (who played
with Johnny Cash and Tom Petty). In Diamond’s own words: “whether
it's rock 'n' roll or country or folk. I'm not afraid of these rock 'n' roll
guys. I was there at the beginning. I'll be there at the end.“ Now that’s a
legacy.
Hardcore-Festival in the Sytrian hills
I don’t know why they do it around there, but
hey, I might be in the vicinity and check it out myself. Wow, my old
granddad-head at a two-day-hardcore-festival in Unterbuch (close to Hartberg)
with bands such as Heaven shall burn, Terror, 100 Demons, Irate, Maroon, The
Plague Mass and many others.
No more Mar
We are sad to find out that Mar, Austrians
premier (ie. the first band to do so ) metalcore-band is dissolving. Their last
gig will be – or rather was – at the Underdog-festival in Vienna, where
fortunately a lot of other Austrian hardcorebands will play. www.underdogfest.com.
Parts of Mar have formed with other parts of H-Street, Nothing gold can stay,
Hope dies last and Monolith (what kind of list is that?) and will play on as The
Path (http://www.myspace.com/thepath) That’s more than
enough Hardcore-news from Austria, I guess.
Springsteen Starbucked
Starbucks was going to sell Bruce Springsteens
“Devil & Dust”-CD. Then they saw the lyrics to the track “Reno”
which describes a flashback to a long gone love of a prostitutes patron in
detail, so Starbucks backed off. Other artists would have changed lyrics or
produced special versions of the CD for certain chains (as has been commonly
done for WalMart), but the Boss is true. Fuck Starbucks.
Bruce Wily
U2 were inducted into the Rock’n’Roll-Hall of Fame. I have no
idea why, but I did hope they had to be there for the rest of their lives and
never would be let out again. Then Bruce Springsteen did the induction (why Bruce? Why?)
But I found a lot of hidden cynicism in his reaction to first seeing U2’s iPod
ad. So he’s sitting in his pajamas on the couch one night back in the fall,
“doing one of my favorite things … tallying up all the money I passed up in
endorsement deals over the years and thinking of all of the fun I could have had
with it.” Then he hears U2’s “Vertigo” coming from the TV. “Instead of
the silhouettes of the hippie wannabes bouncing around in the iPod commercial, I
see my boys,” he recalled. “Oh my God! They’ve sold out!” He calls his
manager, Jon Landau, the next morning and says, “Did you see that iPod
thing?” When Landau tells him he heard U2 didn’t take any money for it,
Bruce says, “I think smart, wily Irish guys ... anybody can do an ad and take
the money, but to do the ad and not take the money … that’s smart.
That’s wily.” He then instructs Landau, “I want you to call up Bill Gates
or whoever is behind this thing” — I’ll give Bruce one free Luddite pass
here, or maybe he was kidding — “and float this: a red, white and blue iPod
signed by Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen. And remember, no matter how much
money he offers, don’t take it!” Bruce, still the Boss.
Gang of Fourty Year Olds
The Pixies, Slint, and now – gasp – Gang Of
Four have reunited and announced US Tour Dates. Now I am waiting for Talking
Heads, Wire and Joy Division to reunite. Okay, the last one will be a hard one,
but it is a lot better than some
of these.
FD on big tour
Franklin Delano, our favorite alternative country band from Italy will do a US-tour this year, lasting almost two months from April to May. In June they will tour the EU. Wow. We wish you the best of luck.
John
Peel’s favorite band box
That
is, of course, The Fall. Sanctuary Records is releasing a 6-CD-Box with
all the recordings The Fall did for John Peel’s radio show from 1978 to 2004,
all in all 24 sessions. Try loading that on your 256MB-pod.
Playboy Mansion Weezed
For geeks it is an unlikely location, yet for
superstars entry is easy. Weezer have shot their latest video (for “Beverly
Hills” from the upcoming album) in the Playboy mansion. “The decadent
setting was both an ideal and ironic choice to illustrate the song’s message
of ‘real’ people feeling alienated in an often plastic world.” Yeah,
right. Any reason is good enough to party at the Playboy mansion, I guess.
Zorn club
John Zorn has opened a venue in New York, where each month will be curated by musician. Ned Rothenberg (reedplayer) will kick off in April. A special CD-edition on Tzadik is planned to support the club, because all revenues will go to the performers and there will be no refreshments for sale at the show. Looks like hard times for financially stressed Zorn-collectors. But good times for music lovers in and around NY.
Toyota Mix-CDs
After Mercedes hit some space in the marketing world with their idea of offering mix-CDs of cool music (that fits the band of course), they now have been overtaken – once again – by Toyota. The Japs try to add more Gen-Y-momentum to their Scion brand and released 10 Mix-CDs and started their own label for it. Despite a good amount of teacher’s disco (a marketing term for uncool people faking cool language) there is some good music by Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shadow, RJD2, Biz Markie, Dilated People, and many more. http://www.scion.com/live/live_music.html
Acetylene Wolfskin for Walkabouts
After releasing solorecords, Chris Eckman and
Carla Torgerson, the songwriters of The Walkabouts, have got together to record
a new album. It is called “Acetylene” and will be released on their old
homeground Glitterhouse. One of those new songs will also be used in a
advertisement for Wolfskin (which all of you emokids will surely know from your
backpacks) and is also free to download on www.glitterhouse.com
Devil & Dust by The Boss
In April 26th, the new album by Bruce Springsteen will hit the stores. It is called “Devil & Dust” and features mostly songs written during the “Ghost of Tom Joad”-solo tour in 1995-1996. Therefore the record is said to be quieter, more acoustic, more rootsy and only features core members of the E-Street-Band (who’d chose?). A tour will follow. And guess, who’ll be there…
Dinosaur senior
Apparently, Lou Barlow and J Mascis have come
together to play some shows this summer under the name of Dinosaur Jr. again.
First The Pixies, now Slint and soon Dinosaur Jr – feels like I am all twenty
over again. So why do I feel so tired?
The Strummer Diesel
In England a train was named after late punkrock
idol Joe Strummer (do I really have to tell you about The Clash??). It is a
rather oldish Diesel-machine built in 1965 but still working, so maybe that kind
of stubbornness is the reason for the title. Hope it doesn’t clash… (oh,
that is a bad one, I know.) Thanks to Werner for letting me know.
Beastie Boys against Colonel Sanders
After fighting for the Dalai Lama for a decade
without success, the Beastie Boys have found another, more fitting and closer
target: Kentucky Fried Chicken. The poultry-fast food frier has long been
accused of cruel treatment of their live stock, including live scalding,
crippling and debeaking. In an open letter to the bosses of KFC they have
written: You have the responsibility to tell your
suppliers that what they are doing is wrong," and "By doing nothing,
you are to blame for the cruelty that these chickens endure, which is truly
sickening." Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney and the Dalai Lama have also
joined the force formed by PETA. Wow, what an army?
R U 2 rich?
If you become premium-member at U2.com (why
would you?) you’ll have to lay down 40 dollars a year and as a reward you’ll
get, among other stuff, priority ticket purchasing capabilities, so you can buy
tickets (again, why would you?) earlier then regular folks. But somebody fucked
up and it didn’t happen in January and so some fans, who were willing to lay
down another 60-100 dollars for the tickets (why?) were denied access to the
soon sold out shows of the U2 US-tour (insert another why? here) beginning in
march. The drummer Larry Mullen (where’s Bono when you really need him? Aw,
forget it…) wrote in an open letter that U2 are trying to remedy the situation
and are looking for a distribution possibility for their fall-tour, were premium
members will be given opportunity in the order in which they joined. For all
those people “accusing U2 of unseemly behaviour, I’ve only got two words for
you …” He didn’t write down the two words, but I guess they must be
something like “Pay Here” or “Me rich” or “sue me” even “child
porn” (who knows what these rockstar-businessmen are thinking anyway?). There
was a reason I started loathing U2 about a decade back. Oh yeah, when they sued
the hell out of SST-records for releasing a comedy-record by Negativeland called
“U2”. I always waited for them to sue public transport in Vienna for
operating a subway line called U2.
Imprisoned Libertines
Wow, what a way to fuck up a career? First, Pete Doherty was kicked out of The Libertines for excessive drug use and burglarizing the house of his bandmate. While forming a new band, called Babyshambles, who started recording a record in February, Doherty attacks a documentarian, who sold photos of him using heroin to British tabloids. Allegedly, Doherty demanded money from the photographer, and then giving him a broken nose and two black eyes when he refuses. Now he is charged on blackmail and robbery. As if dating Kate Moss wasn’t punishment enough. You dumb sod!
555 goes out
After two years of plummeting response, various distributers going broke and finally getting records returned four weeks after their release, 555 records have chosen to call it quits. Another sad not. But the prospect of sitting on a porch listening to the coyotes is way more appealing than running an underground record-label. (I’ll go for listening to crickets…)
the united follower
Unsure were to look to and where to find a safe place in these insecure and unsteady times? You could become a devoted follower of United Movement. And a good first step would be to go and get issue #1 of "The United Movement Follower", a practical handsized fanzine containing infos on UM, record reviews, interviews (the Paper Chase) and some other stuff, plus a commentary on "Why rock destroys you mind". Moreover, you'll find a neat CDR with 3 demo-tracks of the upcoming United Movement-album on Trost records. More info on www.unitedmovement.com
moulinettes ahead
Autres directions in music has announced their plans for 2005 and it is quite a treat. Besides an EP by Obadia there will be new albums and EPs by Depth Affect and Melodium, plus a new compilation: "The kids are alright" (ft. Melodium, Atone, Tony, frz, trace de pneu, and others). If that will be half as good as their last compilation "The noise & the city" it will be really good. And the good news: some of them are free for download on their website: www.autresdirections.net/inmusic The full albums for Melodium and Depth Affect will be the first proper CD releases by autres directions, so those won't be for free. Check the website for details.
More hymns for the hopeless
The release date of the second album by William Elliott Whitmore has been announced. “Ashes to Dust” will appear on February 21st, features eleven songs, incl. “The day the end finally came” which was already released on a seven inch. With songtitles such as “Diggin’ my grave”, “The buzzards won’t cry” and “Sorest of eyes” we just know we are in for another treat of misery and despair. And by any means, go and see him play live if possible.
Themtwistes Noselves
As one of the more interesting collaborations to
grace the start of the new year (though the whole thing was of course recorded
last year) is The Notwist
teaming up with Themselves as 13+God. The result is a wonderfully laidback and
relaxing mixture of beautiful electro-tunes with some illustre rapping. Various
singles with remixes and live dates later this year round up the package. That
name is still a mystery though.
The Mental Force is out again
After a hiatus of, wow over a decade, some
people have gotten together again, to revive the legendary Force Mental-zine. On
the internet, because it works a lot better. (That reminds me of something.)
They say have kept the original format, but they are using the medium quite
cleverly, with soundfiles and one article per side. Check here: http://www.clubmoral.com/forcemental/
McClusky have done Dallas
Arrgh, the first news of 2005 is bad news:
McClusky, that great Welsh noiserockers call it quits. For unentertaining
personal reasons. Who’ll now give us songtitles such as “Lightsabre
Cocksucking Blues” or “The world loves us and is our bitch.” Who?
A lifespan of Yo La Tengo
They are from Hoboken, New Jersey, and have conquered the world – without most people noticing, that is. Matador will release a double-CD best of by Yo La Tengo, starting from their first 7” on their own label to the latest releases. How they will fit that dozen or so epic records onto two measly discs I don’t know. But there will be a special-triple-CD-edition with all kinds of outtakes and rarities for true fans.
Billy & Courtney do it again
And this time together (again). After winning custody for her kid Courtney Love is making yet more plans on her new record: it will have Billy Corgan (known from various deceased bands like Zwan) playing guitar, Rick Rubin producing and will probably be recorded inside a women’s prison. Hm, that latter could’ve been the plan of her record company to make her pending trials of assault and drug possession more effective. By the way, Corgan had already done guitar parts on “Celebrity Skin”. The record by Hole, not the magazine.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Boxed
This great musical institution has been around
for 21 years now. So, after a greatest hits single, Nick Cave
and the Boys have decided to re-release all the B-Sides, giveaways and rarities
that have accumulated in those years in one big box-set that turned out 3 CDs in
all. So you’ll get all the great songs that only made it onto seven inches
(like “The Girl at the bottom of my glass” or “Cassiel’s Song”) but
also some real b-sides (like “That’s what jazz is to me”), the songs from
movie-soundtracks (Like “I’ll love you till the end of the world”) and
stuff that was just too much to make it onto regular albums (like
“O’Malley’s bar part 1 to 3”). It is all recordings of Nick Cave with
The Bad Seeds, so no solo-stuff or collaborations – the duets with Shane
McGowan are included.
If you never got the chance to buy “The Good Son”-album with that promo-seven-inch containing acoustic versions of “Mercy Seat”, “City of refugee” and “Deanna” (with the band moving slyly into “Oh Happy Day”) you should get this one. For chrissakes, I’d buy this if there was only one track on it, that I don’t have at home yet. Thinking about it, that’s a close call.
A Smith’s Line
Johnny Marr and Morrissey have given their okay
for a musical about the Smiths, using 20 of their songs.
Acrylik embarked
There is a new netlabel for electronic music from France: www.acrylik.net. Their first release is a beautiful 4track-EP called “space” by Embark, that floats, pluckers and revolves very much like the spaceships in “Independence Day” do not.
Regurgitated Ulcerous Phlegm
There once was a great trash-grind-core-band called Ulcerous Phlegm. Never heard of? Well, a small label intends to release a discography-CD of them. But the bassist, who had been contacted, is still unsure if he should. So, send him an email and make him do it. Here: bernd@dhyanarecords.com Thank you. The music history will be proud of you.
Flaming White Stripes Lips?
The Flaming Lips have recorded a cover of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. The track will appear on a limited edition 7" single in 2005 as well as on the next edition of the Late Night Tales series which is due out in February. Then available on ebay for a few hundred bucks come March.
Slint needs your help
This is what it says on the T&G-website:
Touch And Go Records and Slint are working on something special, and we are need
photos of Slint, Video Footage of Slint, Flyers from Slint shows, ?.... If you
have any of these things and would like to help out, please contact us at: slintproject@tgrec.com , or Touch And Go Records, Attn:
Slint Project PO Box 25520 Chicago, IL. 60625
Wal-Mart slip
Wal-Mart is being sued by a man in in Brownsville, Md. after allowing his
daughter to buy the new Evanescence album titled, 'Anywhere But Home', for her
thirteenth birthday and hearing the song 'Thoughtless' on the way home from the
mega-store. 'Thoughtless' contains the 'f-word' and after being completely
shocked, the plaintiff Trevin Skeens and his wife Melanie phoned their lawyer.
The stakes? Wal-Mart must censor the music or remove the album from its shelves
plus pay damages of $74,500 for each of the thousands of people who have bought
the record in Maryland stores. Two comments: 1) usually Wal-Mart checks all CDs they put in their
stores and various artists have releases specially recorded versions to be
distributed via Wal-Mart (especially those streetwise gangsta-rappers…) 2)
Wal-Mart allowed the daughter to buy the CD? Not the parents? Why not sue the
bank of America who issued the dollarbills which made it possible to buy the CD
in the first hand?
Eat with Nirvana-bassist
Actually, more of a factoid: The week-long bidding war on online auction site eBay to share a private plane ride and lunch with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic ended December 5th ended with an astonishing $7,300 bid. The winning bid out of 68 total bids, guarantees the winner a private flight on Novoselic’s Cessna 182 Skylane jet from any West Coast airport a private lunch in a city of his choice and back home again. In pursuit of the once in a lifetime opportunity, the fan will have to sign a "voluntary release of liability, acknowledgement and assumption of risks, and indemnification agreement." Additionally, the winner has permission to share the experience with a friend.
Hot snakes last peeled
The great Hot Snakes
from San Diego now have reached the questionable fame of being the last band to
ever record a Peel Session. Two weeks before John Peel’s death (see below)
they took a day off from touring the UK to record four songs for John Peel,
which now will be released in an edition of 800 as a 7” on their own Swami
Records.
Far beyond driven
"Dimebag" Darrel, legendary axeman of Pantera, was shot dead on stage by an unknown man with a machine gun during the opening song of a show. Eye-witnesses said it looked like a get-even. The attacker also shot other bandmembers, before he was gunned down by police. Sheez, what a world.
Midnight Oil afloat
the ocean
Laid low with a
mystery illness: Peter Garrett, once of Midnight Oil, now an Australian MP. He'd
been swimming off the coast of Sydney, came ashore, and collapsed. Nobody knows
why. Garrett's always been keen on environmental problems - now he's gotten one
of his very own.
Potterheads: Pulp & Radiohead yes, Franz
Ferdinand no
News is out that Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead
and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp have agreed to perform cameos in the upcoming Harry
Potter-movie, while Franz Ferdinand declined. While their management names
“scheduling” as a reason, the thought is close, that Franz Ferdinand have
felt enough of media hype and tour blitz to not be bothered anymore with a skint
marketing scam to bring more adult credibility to a
million-dollar-mainstream-project.
Goodbye Charlotte
It was just a question of time after the fusion
of MTV with VIVA in Germany (and thereby also in Austria and Switzerland), all
the edges and progressive fringes get cut off for a more streamlined and
formatted music television. First victim: “Fast Forward”, fronted by the
unbelievable and great Charlotte Roche. I cannot believe that there will be no
more great and intelligent talks with stars like Metallica and Lemmy from
Motorhead as well as small and smallest bands, obscure videos and most of all
the unique, freely associated and original spoken words of Charlotte Roche
herself. There was a time, we all were in love with her.
Cream again
Rumours are strengthening about a re-union of
Cream, including Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. I am all doodled up
towards seeing old men play their old hits from back then. Next on my list are:
The Animals, Led Zeppelin and Baccara.
Death Cab for Atlantic Records
The overhyped Death Cab For Cutie, perfectly
described by Pitchfork Magazine as “soundtracking the lives of beautiful white
suburban kids with problems”, have signed to the major label Atlantic after
their successful “Transatlanticism”-album (225.000 pieces sold). Quite
optimistic about their future, they have released a statement as to what will
change, now that they are on a major label and that list goes: “1. There will
be the letter “A” on both the spine and the back of our upcoming album. I
hope all of you can deal with this list.” Well, they’ll find out that there
is more to a major label than that. As soon as their A&R-guy gets fired or
promoted, or the comptroller sends an internal message or the label needs money
to contract Mariah Carey. See below about majors:
More (Less) Mega-Monster Musiclabels
Sony and BMG have merged. Sony BMG is the second
larges music company in the world with $8 billion sales annually and control
over 22 % of the global music market. 25 % of the workstuff, which is 2.000
people, will lose their jobs. The biggest major label is Universal; WEA and EMI
are third and fourth respectively. And that’s it. The rest has been bought,
merged, fused or sold.
Queens come in March 2005
Information has come about the upcoming album by Queens of the Stone Age, which will allegedly be released on March 22nd 2005. The title will be “Lullabies to Paralyze” and it will have 20 tracks. One, a collaboration with Stoner-Rock Godfather Chriss Goss (of Masters of Reality) has the cute title “The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died”. I can’t hardly wait.
Money thrown in The Streets
Mike Skinner is skint. Allegedly he has done to much betting (while boozed) as well as threatening his large US-tour by spending all the money reserved for the tour in a casino in Las Vegas, no less. Now he had to mortgage his house to pay the bills. Those wunderkinder ain't what they were..
Battle of the mainstream perverts
Although I couldn’t care less about Jay-Z or
R. Kelly (and still am of the opinion that both are highly overpaid yet talented
businessmen that re-arrange their mainstream songs to draw the money out of
kid’s pockets to finance their perverted lifestyles), I find the news somehow
amusing that after various kinds of ruckus, accusations of violence and lack of
professionalism (like Jay-Z missing a show to go to a friend’s birthday party)
plus finally R. Kelly leaving the tour he started with Jay-Z under the moniker
of “best of two worlds”, he is now sueing Jay-Z for $ 75 million. Reminds of
Dr. Dre, the old super-gangsta, sueing his broker company for some $ 150 million
because the stock market didn’t behave as expected. Can’t get the street out
of those gangstas, can you? More drops of pain: their collaborate CD
“Unfinished business” sold an estimated 215.000 pieces in the first week,
which is just slightly next to the figure projected by Kelly (“In the first
week, I predict one million sold.”)
More battles, this one solved, yet none the less
perverted (aka “going postal”)
Some time last year, the “US Postal
Service”, i.e. the governmental entity that actually really delivers letters
and parcels, sued the US-indie-electro-pop-duo “The Postal Service”. Bam
Whack! Now the band’s label Sub Pop managed to strike a deal to conclude the
fight in a manner workable for both sides: cross promotion! Which means
commercial cooperation for both sides to sell more of whatever it is they want
to sell. Parts of the deal include the bands music being used in advertisement
for the USPS, their CDs being sold via post offices, and the band playing a gig
at the annual USPS conference in front of 800 senior postal executives. I think
I’ll call my band “Playboy Mansion”…
|
|
John Peel is off the air He was maybe the only person
ever to rightfully attain the label “radio-legend” (or “godlike
genius” as one music-mag would have it): John Peel died at the age of 65
in Lima, Peru, in October. Since the real measure of his work cannot be
done due honours in a short paragraph like this, here are the facts: His
real name was John Ravenscroft. He did a show for BBC One since 1967. He
discovered trends and artists before anyone else knew about them, like
David Bowie. He was the first to play punk, reggae or Hip Hop on
BBC-radio. I’m gonna re-listen to all those records of the legendary
“John Peel Sessions” that I have at home. RIP. |
Dense-ified
Dense Promotion, the finest selectors and multipliers of chosen avantgarde and electronica music, have moved into new offices along with a shop. So, if you happen to come to Berlin, go to Danziger Straße 16, 10435 Berlin, and check out their fine selection (Actually, that is just a few blocks further on up the road, but that is enough for me to plug them). Or try www.dense.de
Re-Slinted
Holy Moly, Slint are re-uniting to curate and play the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival during 25th to 27th February at Camber Sands in England. Brian MacMahan, David Pajo and Britt Walford have already confirmed that they will once again form the core of what is still believed to be one of the most influential yet less successful (in quantitative terms) bands since, well, bands started to exist. If there will be more than the ATP 2005 England is yet not confirmed.
Rock the Vote, but gently
The latest band to throw themselves
into the political arena are Yo La Tengo, one more all-time-favorite in the
Cracked Headquarters. The trio have just announced the interestingly titled
"Tour of Swing States to Try and Help John Kerry Get Elected" on their
official website. Now they’ll have to compete with The Boss,
REM and Pearl Jam for political verve, but we'd sure rather listen to them
blather about why Bush is a bad president than fucking Keb' Mo'. Actually, we'd
really rather they just record a new album, but you can't win them all.
Pan-Scandinavian love
affairs
Kaada and Mike Patton have finally finished
their collaboration. It will be called “Romances” and released on November
30th on Ipecac. In the meantime you can pre-listen to the minute-long
excerpts of all nine tracks on http://www.kaada.no/romances/
First impression: weird does not really describe it.
What is the sound of No Word
The label Wordsound calls it quits. After releasing many geat illbient, dub and hip-hop records (by the likes of The Bug, Sensational or Spectre, they will celebrate their 10th anniversary with their 50th release – an anniversary DVD – and then close the shop down.
Let’s cash in on Cash
Next to a feature movie about the live of Johnny Cash (RiP) plans have come around about a musical titled “Ring Of Fire” with the same content. Obviously, Johnny Cash’s songs and lyrics will remain as they are, because they are “an iconic fundament of American music”. Thanks to heavens, I was already afraid of a fully orchestrated big-band version of “A boy named Sue” with harmony-singing and syncopic reversion of the chorus.
The movie by the way will feature Joaquin Phoenix as Cash and Reese Witherspoone as June Carter Cash. I just can’t imagine that.
Fat Demoboard Cat
Interested in good electronic fringe music – check out the demoboard of Fat Cat Records (who brought us great records from Animal Collective, Set Fire To Flames, Sylvain Chauveau, Black Dice and lots of others) via www.fat-cat.co.uk who offer great tracks from unreleased bands. I listened to it all day long today and I found some new gems, e.g. Sam Crombie or Eglantine Gouzy. Moreover, I like the guts of Fat Cat not calling that a “netlabel” but a demoboard.
Russ Meyer is UP! finally
Well, everyone’s favourite tit-man, sex&violence-movie-maker from the Sixties and Seventies is dead. Russ Meyer died at age 82 and leaves about two dozen movies as a cultural heritage to party on. To commemorate his death, here is a picture to help you meditate on the man, his life and his obsessions.
The best things in life are free, but that’s
not true for me, I want money
Apple Corporation, the legal holder of the rights to the songs by The Beatles (those that Michael Jackson doesn’t own) has sued Apple Computers because of iTunes, the internet music download store, because… I can’t really describe it: they share a name, which they have done for 23 years, they had an agreement that they won’t sue each other as long as Apple computers kept away from music publishing, which it now does. Therefore Apple Computers has paid 30 million US$ as a settlement, but since iTunes has become real big now, those leftover Beatles want more, I guess. I ain’t no lawyer. I like The Beatles, but I bought all my records second hand or on sale. I only download music from the internet that is free (and I do mean legally free to download!) and this is just another instant of people having way too much money going berserk over another few million dollars. A true heavyweight battle.
Return to christmas bliss from Nirvana
Universal Music will apparently release
3CD-Box-Set of Nirvana rarities, B-Sides, demos, live-tracks, and so on ready
for the Christmas rubble. There are no details as to what really will appear on
those three discs. Before you fling out your old flannel shirts to piss off your
13-year old nieces with your arrogant “been there done that”-impression,
better wait if Miss Love will find the time to break lose another legal fight or
if her need for money will win out.
That precious Bulbul double whammy
the long awaited double 5"-vinyl single by Bulbul has now arrived and it turned out nicely. Expect to read a radiant review in the review-pages soon. If you want more info, these websites might be of interest: www.bulbul.at and www.rockishell.com
Homophobic Reggea – when
stupidity meets ignorance
The Reggea-Singer Buju Banton
(true name: Mark Anthony Myrie) has been discriminating against homosexuals in
words, songs and acts for quite some time now. It’s true, Reggea as well as
Jamaican society is quite liberal when it comes to drugs, a wee bit tolerant
about religion and hairstyles, but has zero tolerance when it comes to sexual
liberty, women’s liberation or non-patriarchal ideologies. Homosexuals in
Jamaica can be punished to ten years of prison with labor. In his songs, Buju
Banton, asks listeners to shoot queers in the head, drench them in acid or burn
them alive. He allegedly attacked homosexuals himself as well, to prove his
lyrics weren’t meant “ironic” or as “fantasy”. Now this beautiful
spirit will come to tour in Europe. He has already played a show in the Olympic
Village in Athens for the Jamaican sports-teams organised by Puma, who is also
the sponsor of Buju Banton. Now at least Puma has warned Buju that if he
continues spreading hate against queers and lesbians, they will stop their
sponsorship. They shouldn’t have started it in the first place. Other
“artists” to avoid in this respect: Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Elephant Man,
Boredoms relief boredom
Hints are intensifying that a new studio-CD by the mighty, the legendary, the unbelievable Boredoms in original line-up is on its way. Their old albums were recently re-released on a small label. This would be the first Boredoms-CD since 1999. Rumours are abounding as to which record it is: the never released last record for Warner Japan from 2001? The legendary sessions with drums recorded under water from 2002? Or is it just the re-release of “Rebore 1-3”? Whatever. The title is announced as “Seadrum / House of Sun’s”. And if it never works out get “Onanie Bomb meets the Sex Pistols”, “Pop Tatari” and “Chocolate Synthesizer” and listen to those.
Camper van Reunition
Another legendary band from my puberty calls back, this time decently with a new record (alike the Pixies they already played shows together since 1999, but David Lowery was still busy with Cracker, so that is okay): Camper van Beethoven will release “New Roman Times” in October. Their last record was “Key Lime Pie” in 1989! The album will be a political prog-rock-concept-record with a sci-fi-edge.
Homeland Security vs. Polyphonic Spree 1:0
The drummer of The Polyphnic Spree, Brian
Teasly, was arrested by the FBI because security at Fort Worth Airport mistaked
a microphone in his bags for a bomb. So they called FBI and the bomb squad, shut
down five gates at Terminal C and called the bomb robot. Teasly, in the meantime
arrived at his destination, Birmingham Airport in Alabama, filed a notice for
his lost bag (obviously not lost as much as under detention) and went to Taco
Bell. Arriving home he was approached by FBI who arrested him. Teasly had to
show them a videorecording of the band’s appearance on Late Night with Craig
Kilborn to convince them that the implement in question was, in fact, a
microphone. However, why the agents were unable to
just disassemble the damn thing and figure out that it wasn't a bomb is a
question you might not want to ask yourself, if you'd like to feel good about
the state of global security.
Pixies at it again
Rumours are getting denser about Frank Black and
the Pixies thinking about recording a new album that may or may not be released
in 2005. Why that could be an interesting piece of information, except for my
never-ending fandom for their first three or four records, is beyond me. Maybe
there has to be a Pixies-related-news-thingy every month to keep the buzz
steady.
Einstürzende legends
There comes a time in life for everyone, when some things that hitherto seemed unbelievable become manifest. Or who would’ve imagined to ever see Blixa Bargeld, master lyricist and theoretical intellectualist behind the (rightfully so) more than legendary Einstürzende Neubauten to appear in a commercial. For a DIY/homerepair-store. Repeat after me: a DIY-store!!! He reads from a newsflyer of the Hornbach-chain in a poetry style. Remembering those old days, when the Einstürzenden Neubauten used to hammer and bang with drills, flex and screwdrivers, makes me think it fit somehow. Anyway, thanks to Blixa for being the next one on my list of sell-outs I never wanted to see. And also for not going on tour with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, because you are so busy doing commercials. On the other hand, I wonder how the regular Viva-viewers will react to ol’ Blixa…
From Beta to Omega
The praised Beta-Band has called it quits. Time
to stock up on the discography.
Wait until Waits
Tom Waits has announced the
release date and details for his new album: “Real Gone” will be released on
October 4th 2004 and offer a grand slew of new directions for devoted
listeners. Most of all, Tom Waits will replace his piano with “his own brand
of vocal percussion” whatever that means. With the help of old and new helping
hands on board, like his wife Kathleen Brennan, the statuary Larry Taylor, Marc
Ribot back on for the first time since Rain Dogs, Les Claypool and Brian Manita
amongst others, some fine sounds and songs are to be expected. Or as Tom said
himself: "Real Gone is an electric pill box... a homogeneous
concoction of mood elevators, mind liberators and downers, an alchemical
universe of rattling chains, oscillating rhythms and nine-pound hammers."
Tracklist and Coverimage available at www.anti.com
Oldham turns film-pro
Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy is obviously starting a serious acting career as a independent movie actor. After appearing in obscure US-indie flicks such as “Radiation”, “Julien Donkey-Boy” or “Slitch” (where Oldham played a sexual conqueror called The Surfer) he will now appear in a movie called “The Guatamalean handshake”. The movie is about a young boy searching for his disappeared friend (the friend played by Oldham. Don’t put that down yet, that’s just the way Steve Buscemi started off as well.
Godot in Mallorca
“Waiting for Waits” is the title of a music-festival in Mallorca that now runs into its fourth year. Every year a bunch of artists come together to play shows, but they have to include at least one Tom Waits-cover into their set. This year its going to be Kelly Joe Phelps, Mary Lou Lord, Josh Rouse, Carter Wood + Songdog and Dayna Kurtz. The organisators are hoping that Tom Waits one year finally will come himself and that will terminate the series of festivals, because then the wait is over. At least they know, what they are waiting for actually exists.
The world goes electronic
Next on the list on a string of more and more
artists testing the possiilities of iTunes is Rufus Wainwright, who’ll release
four songs from the recording of “Want”, which he calls the “more
daunting, more weird stuff”. The artwork will be available from his website.
If that keeps on, that’ll mean goodbye old-fashioned record collection. If
that is good or bad, I don’t know...
Mr. Lady gone
The feminist and queer but most of all
independent label Mr. Lady has to close down due to financial reasons. Founded
by Kaia Wilson, back then well-known with Team Dresch (one of the best
rrriot-dyke-bands in my opinion), it was a home to bands like LeTigre, Sara
Dougher, The Butchies (w/ Kaia Wilson), The Quails or Electrelane. Well, as they
somewhere around there: riot girl didn’t disappear, it got its Ph.D.
What music do drughead die to?
Two fans died during the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester,
Tennessee, possibly due to drugs and the intense heat. The County Sheriff said,
"When there is drug usage and the heat has been like it has, we have been
expecting it every year. ... This year our luck ran out." Nope, Bonnaroo is
not a metal- or rock-festival – where such things would be more than expected
– with a line-up including Calexico, The Black Keys, Wilco, Yo La Tengo,
Ani DiFranco, and Bob Dylan, this could be the spark to ignite a
“parents against progressive folk-music” initiative.
Unholy line-up:
They call it “unholy alliance tour 2004” and it is Slipknot and Slayer touring together. Yeah, let those old metal dudes kick the heads of those new metal kids. Both bands have toured together in the USA and outside festivals Slayer had to take the support slot! What a twisted world. They’ll tour Europe in September (such dates are always to be taken cautiously with Slayer) and Slipknot will headline dates in UK, France and Belgium, Slayer in Switzerland, Italy, Germany and the Scandinavian countries. In the meantime Slayer are in the studio working on their next album, the first in the original line-up since “seasons in the abyss”. Relase is due before summer... as it is mid-June while I write this, I can’t help grinning while I write this. See note to tour-dates.
Pixies at it again:
After re-uniting and touring the globe as if the last fifteen years never happened, the Pixies have managed what a lot of people only dreamed of in their most beautiful nightmares: They have recorded a new song. Yes, you heard right. One song. And, as the marketing-minded genius of Black Francis has made us expect: Only available as a download via itunes. He has already perfected the record-the-concert-and-then-burn-and-sell-it-to-the-audience-the-same-night-shtick as well as offering “digital” singles, which are downloadable tracks with a cover in pdf.-format. If you ask me for a reason for the re-union of the band, I will tell you: salespower. Damn it.
This is the fringe
Succo Acido is a cool zine about fringe music,
culture and politics from hot Sicily. I mean, really cool and really fringe, as
in doing interviews with Ouzel Records and Sylvain Chauveau. Succo Acido has now
added English and even some French parts to its printed and online-version to
make it understandable to more people around the world.
The printed version comes bi-monthly and will be
sent in bulks (to be distributed for free by wellminded people in their area)
and you can get it at “Edizioni De Dieux /
SuccoAcido c/o Marco Di Dia, Via Giovanni Prati 15 - 90144 Palermo, Italy” or
check the website at http://www.succoacido.it.
Free at last
It might just be important to some, so I’ll add it: The famous Olsen Twins have finally come of age and celebrated their 18th birthday. Which means, that everyone so hungrily lusting after them these last years, is now free of the guilt of pedophelic thoughts (like those last five to ten years, you sucker!)
Interstellar more global
Our friends from Interstellar Records have added another nice label to their rooster of distributed music: 54°40' or FIght! hails from Michigan and has been known to me solely for releasing Sicbay, a terribly nice band that toured with Valina this year through Europe and then the USA. But they have a lot more to offer from the progressive yet rocking guitar-oriented part of the music world, where they seem to cover all the great bases. What I have heard so far from 31 Knots, Houston, Pseudosix, The Building Press and The Planet The sounded special in more than one way. Details will follow in the reviews-section. Check it out at: www.interstellarrecords.at
official black market
Usound and gebrauchtemusik have released a fine compilation with songs by Deep, Logan Bros., J.B., Christoph & Lollo, Jesus Jackson und die Grenzlandreiter, Doghouse, and a slew of others, all dealing in one way or another with globalisation, its faults, dangers and mistreatment of people, ressources and lives. As you might have guessed by that, all profits go to the anti-globalisation network ATTAC. Great idea, good music - go get it.
Another great man dies
Maybe it is just that time of the year, were they all come together. I surely hope, it ain't so. Hubert Selby is dead. He has written the exceptional novel "Last Exit Brooklyn" and a few others which depict the plight and misery of those living on the other side of the American Dream. Very much like Hubert Selby himself, who has been broke, broken and bent all his lifetime, no matter how many books he sold.
A great man dies
Sir Peter Ustinov is dead. I like him best for saying: “My home is civilized behaviour.” A true cosmopolitan. And since I don’t care about nations, borders or traditions, but I do believe in treating each other with respect and friendliness, I draw my metaphorical head for a truly great gentleman in the best sense of the word. And those Poirot-movies won’t be forgotten as well.
Nebraska from a variety of theoretical perspectives
You know, sometimes studying is good fun. Especially, if you can write about records. Emily Pawlosky has written an interesting piece on Springsteen's great "Nebraska"-album, and you know what, she cited our "best records of all times" review on that record. So I took the liberty of putting her piece on the web. It is a great read with some interesting insights into the record.
Littlebrutalnewsravebastardnews
Jean Bach, the old rave-crasher and railroad-bass-addict, is currently working on the tracks for his release within the Dhyana-records 8"-series as littlebrutalravebastard #4. super eight inch babies by Rumpeln and Big City Orchestra have already been released, Doghouse and Cinise are about to be released. I'll keep you informed.
Record News
I don’t really write down new records and stuff, except if for some reason they hit me with anticipation. Here is some of those, showing that it will be a great summer. Dischord/Sammich records have re-released the very first albums by Soulside and Shudder To Think. On Cd. That’s still great news. By the way: if you are in West Los Angeles, check out National Public Radio. Those guys care about things like these. Karate have a new record in the folds of their coats and it is called “Pockets”. Again out on Southern. In the summer they will tour Europe and record a “In The Fishtank”-Session.
That little Bulbul double whammy
While the experimental album on mego records seems to take its time, my favorite Austrian noise-rockers with the Melvinesque attitude and affinity to baffling people with far out sounds and/or chicken costumes, Bulbul, will release a double 5"-vinyl single on Rock To Hell-records (I hope I remembered the name correctly.) It sounds nifty, but this is a strictly limited collectors item, so be fast and never again worry about that pension fund. more info or reservations at rockishell@hotmail.com
The hurting fingertips of Eric Clapton...
...are really nothing compared to the hurting hearings of the people who had to listen to his latest works, nevertheless Clapton is now trying various cures to help him maintain the hard skin on his fingertips (any guitarist knows what I am talking about). But Clapton's fingertips hurt so much when he is growing hard skin - what other people call practising - so that he is afraid he won't be able to do his world tour. Aaaw, the poor little sod.
Valina / Sicbay started rolling
My favorite band from Austria and their friends from Minneapolis, Valina and Sicbay respectively, have started their European tour and the tour stretching over almost five weeks and 28 dates and nations - from Italy to Belgium and Germany to Poland - that is truly a big one. The first few shows in Austria (Klagenfurt, Wels, Graz and Vienna) went truly well, with lots of people showing up and the people hitting off together nicely - which is important if you want to spend five weeks crammed together in a small bus. In April / May both bands will tour through parts of the USA. So, wherever you are, watch out and check www.trost.at/valina for dates.
Everything you always wanted to know about, well, everything
After years and years of waiting, a new issue of the "Monochrom" will be released in February. Yes, our beloved webmasters took their time to produce another volume of their thesaurus on modern living, culture and definitely everything there is. Clocking it at about 450 pages and 2.5 pounds, this must be the biggest fanzine ever produced. There will be a party in the Museumsquartier in Vienna on the 6th of February, and then some more events, among them a reading in the Substance-store in Vienna. Show up, get drunk and buy your own issue. It is only 15 Euros, but it will give you a half-year-amount of stuff to read. Believe me. More info somewhere at: www.monochrom.at
Fracture terminally fractured
We are sad to hear that the UK-based fanzine "fracture" is no more. At times, this zine was my last straw to the punk/hardcore-scene but I do understand why they called it quits after 25 evergrowing issues. There are plans for a new zine in the pipeline. If you are interested, looky here: www.fracturezine.com
New records from Dhyana
Now available and recommended (detailed reviews will follow as soon as I get round to writing them...): Derek DePrator and the Atomic Crash - "When the train left the station" (12", one side has seven great country-rock-folk-songs, the other side has a silkscreen printing), Big City Orchestra - "Pixies" (CD-R, strange and entertaining sounds, high-energy drones) and Hinterlandt - "Poprekordt" (CD-R, feedback goes pop). For more info see www.dhyanarecords.com
Deep have to see their mechanics
Our favorite double-bass-duo Deep have played a DIY-car-workshop in their hometown Augsburg in November of last year. The mix of their deep-end-dronings and the noise of car-enthusiasts and tuning-freaks drilling and screwing (around at) their cars is quite something to behold of. More than just (another) great idea, an edited track will appear on the compilation "music out of open windows" (on field muzieck). Exactly one month later Deep played in a vegetables-shop in Augsburg. More compilation-tracks are bound to appear on deadmind-records, an attac-compilation and an Ouzel-records-compilation. (the latter two will also feature Doghouse).
Tenth anniversary of Cobain looking for Nirvana
Yes, it was in 1994 when Kurt Cobain shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Make of that what you will, the man could play guitar and write good songs. Did it hurt, Kurt?
Dekorder goes bigger and bigger
Dekorder records from Hamburg have released a bunch of fine 3"-CDs and 10"-vinyl records by the likes of Voks, John Hegre, Hafler Trio, Black To Comm, Matt Wand and Un Caddie.... For next year they have announced some full albums on CD by Voks, John Hegre, pxp and the new electronic project using pictures transformed into sounds Black To Comm. Go to www.dekorder.com to order or these plans will get them busted. A fine collection of avantgarde-music from the fringes of avantgarde-music awaits you.
Monochrom comes in English
Until now, everyone not able to speak english could only marvel at the fascinating lay-out-art of monochroms but didn't get anyting from the genius that was hidden inside the words. The dry times are over now. Our beloved webmasters and multi-genius-culture-and-arts-producers "monochrom" have now installed a big English part on their website. Check under: www.monochrom.at/english.
The Empire strikes hard on Lockjaw records
The british Emo/HC/Punk-label Lockjaw records was sued by Coca Cola because it used a logo on its website that said "enjoy Lockjaw records" in a design resembling that of Coca Cola. Even though it doesn't use that specific logo anymore, it was ordered by the laywers of Coca Cola to remove this design from the website and destroy everything that still has this tag on it, including records, clothing, flyers whatever. Yes, copyrights and trademarks are an important assett in modern marketing and business but what about artistic freedom?
V/VM make Frankie hard again and give him 36 inches
Techno-Noise-freaks and
shitstirrers V/VM
from England have found a new object of desire and celebrate it accordingly:
Frankie goes to Hollywood. End of October they have released two twelve inches,
one seven inch picture disc and one CD with reworkings, cover-versions, hommages
and offendings to Frankie. Moreover, they have tried to keep true to the
original designs of the records, right down to the typo of the record label on
the vinyl. More infos here: http://brainwashed.com/vvm/zvvmt69frankiesays01.htm
Elliot Smith committed suicide in the studio
Steven Paul (Elliot) Smith was one of the most
talented songwriters with an unique style and vision. Sure, his music was always
depressing, but so is the music of a lot of bands and singers. Why and how he
exactly took his life isn’t known to us. He will be missed. http://www.sweetadeline.net/
Fred and Wilma.. no, Halle
Actually, this should be a factoid, but anyway:
as you can see in the new video and now has been confirmed by their press-agents
Fred Durst and Halle Barry are a couple. Great. What’s next? Julia Roberts and
Marilyn Manson? Rosie O’Donnel and Lars Ulrich? Marge Simpson and Spuds
McKenzie?
Last stop for Granfaloon Bus
The great, but sadly always underrated alternative country band Granfaloon Bus has called it quits. They played their last concert end of October. No future plans are known, but there is about a half a dozen records, filled with drunken songs in 3/4-timing to keep you joogling for some time to come.
GONE BALD has come
Some months ago I received a demo without any notice or information, but hey that’s okay. That’s punkrock for you. And if the music is great, so what. Now, this CD has turned into “Soul Vacation In Rehab Clinic” by GONE Bald and has been released on Interstellar. It is great. More information at www.interstellarrecords.at
Fat Political Mike rocks against Bush
These are wonderful times indeed, when even funpunk-bands such as NoFX become political. Fat Mike, frontman of NoFX and owner of Fat Wreck Chords, not only pictured George W. Bush as a clown on the cover of NoFX' latest album named "war on errorism" and started a website to teach people about the doings of Bush called www.punkvoter.com, he also titled the current (free!) tour of NoFX "Rock Against Bush" and will release a compilation under the same title. Well, just like the Dixie Chicks, he had to step back a little, because college-radios refused to promote the tour under that name. Pussies. So it was renamed "Punkvoter"-Tour.
In another organisation, "Bands against Bush", bands like The Donnas or Sonic Youth, came together with the same goal: play concerts and tell people about how stupid, evil and dangerous their own president is.
Move to Finland: Avanto Festival
If you still have no idea what you’re gonna do during November 20th to 23rd, why don’t try Helsinki and go to see the Avanto-Festival. The line-up of this premier avantgarde / noise / non-conformist festival for moving sounds and images is truly inspiring: Headliners are Terre Thaemlitz (USA) and Ultra-Red (USA), followed by the likes of KK Null (Japan), Radian (Austria), Mira Calix (UK) and various others. Go see the midnight sun and get drowned in music. More info: www.avantofestival.com
Death to the Pixies
At least, that is what a t-shirt said, that I wore during the Nineties. A true fan-dom thing back then. Then I thought the Pixies were long gone, but not so anymore. Word has come out, that a re-union is being planned for a big tour and the recording of one album. We'll see how that works out. The solo-efforts of ex-bandmembers were never as good as those of the band (Breeders, Frank Black, The Martinis, etc.), but a lot of years have come and gone since then.
Scraping
Foetus of the cartoons-page
J.G.
Thirlwell has always been a busy man. Various synonyms and projects
at the same time, constantly working on new music, all the while kicking the
American dream in the balls. Now he is even working on a comic-series. We are
expecting the best, as always.
Burn
that record in Firewater
Hell, how I do hate record-labels at times. The new album by Firewater, “Man On The Burning Tightrope”, has been released in the US in June already, but for some reasons Jet Set-records is dragging out the coordination with the European label of the band, Noise-O-lution, and there is no end in sight. And no release-date for the record. Allegedly, old agreements are being ignored and there are new demands weekly from Jet Set records. This one goes to the label: if you don’t stop fooling around, I’m gonna download the whole album from the internet. And don’t you whine about it.
Wedekind
weeded out
Wedekind, Austrian alternative pop-rock-hope #1, will need yet some more time to kick Placebo off the headliner-spots at international festivals: the band is currently in hiatus due to the drummer leaving the band, apparantly because it „was no fun anymore“. Good reason. Aspiring pop/rock-stars that they are, singer Rainer was on Austrian alternative radio FM4 the next day to talk about the “split” and to promote the new single of the band. I hope, they’ll manage something, because their debut album (on definance-records) is still lying around here somewhere and I remember, that I rather liked it.
Finally, #50 Dhyana-compilation
It has taken some time. I think it was last summer, when Bernd of Dhyana-Records told me about his plans for a anniversary-compilation. It was a lot of work to compile 56 artists on only one (almost) record. Moreover, there are several gimmicks, such as an "alltogethernow"-remix, the fact that half of the music is to be listened on the right channel, the other half is on the left channel of your stereo at the same time. (What people with mono-players do is beyond me.) Yours truly provided the cover-drawing. Time to celebrate!! Get it at www.dhyanarecords.com.
The
King lives
The Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) has announced that they “discovered” an “unknown” song by Elvis Presley. 25 years after the Kings death “I’m a roustabout” will be available for the first time on the upcoming BMG/RCA-compilation “Elvis – 2nd to none”. The song was allegedly written for a movie in 1964 but then never used an sat silently and unremarked on the shelf of the writer. What a coincidence. Do you believe that? On a side note: With the topselling compilation of last year “ELV1S 30 #1-Hits” and the remix of “a little less conversation” by DJ JXL the king has now had more #1-Charthits in England than the Beatles. The war is still on.
Billy
Zwan Unhappy?
Apparently bassist Paz Lenchantin and guitarist David Pajo left Zwan
in the middle of their European tour. This is what Paz Lenchantin writes on her
website: "I want to let you know that I am no longer with Zwan.
My experience with Zwan
has been great but it is time for me to move on to new projects. This Fall I
will be dedicating my time with David Pajo as Papa M. I am currently rehearsing
for our up coming shows in October. We also hope to start recording shortly
after that. Thank you, Paz.” Highly unusual, because nobody figures that out
in the middle of a tour and leaves instantly. My guess: no friendly good byes.
Maybe Billy Corgan doesn’t like people happier than himself?
No more pitchshiftin’
Early Industrial-Metal band Pitchshifter calls it
quits. Oh, how fondly I remember their early albums on Earache-records
(highly recommended) and the show with Neurosis, where I was banged down
repeatedly by heavy bass-thunder and watched the singer try to swallow his
microphone. Even their mediocre late work was quite good (do I contradict
myself). The band said that they came to the conclusion that Pitchshifter is
dead. They want to try something else, which will be called Doheny.
Short
Sensual Love
Just
a short news-flash: Sensual
Love are recording a new album this summer. Get ready…
New
movie new record new label
Notwist
have recorded the soundtrack for the movie “lichter”, which will be released
in August at the same time the movie starts to play. (It has already received
prices at the Berlinale). The music is said to be melancholic instrumentals with
lots of cello, looped piano and soft electronics. Notwist have founded their own
label to release this record.
More Valina-news
It's summer now, I can see it, there are no news, really. Except for my ever-prolific favorite rockers from Valina, who are in Italy now playing a few gigs there. See, no holidays at the beach for them. More news: there'll be a split-7" with Sicbay from Minneapolis at the end of the year, who they are going to play with in the USofA in November / December and then Valina and Sicbay will do a tour through Europe together in february and march of 2004. We'll keep you informed and so does www.trost.at/valina.
Sorry news and super news from Trost-rooster
Good news first: our favourite avant-rockers of Bulbul offer a special limited edition of vinyl with screen-printed covers in various colours to go with their new CD (both of which have ten different covers - look out for the misprints, 'cause they'll get higher collector's value). CD-presentation is on Monday the 7th of July at B72 in Vienna. More good news: our other favorite rockers on Trost-records, Valina, might have another US-tour up and coming. If they make it big, remember where you read it first. Sad news: Unfortunately, Holly May will never make it big, because they have split up. Their singer and guitarist moves to Sweden. Well, that's not the at the end of the world, isn't it... More infos at: www.trost.at
Queen of Country has gone the long way
We are very sorry to hear that June Carter Cash, wife of Johnny Cash and member of the famous Carter-family, has passed away on 17th of May 2003. She was not only the main reason Johnny Cash has made it through the last three or four decades alive, as an artist she was also right up there with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. She penned "Ring Of Fire" as a token of her love to Johnny Cash, with whom she shared the stage often and often to sing classics such as "Jackson" or "If I were a carpenter". She can also be seen in the video to Johnny Cash's "Hurt" watching him from behind, taking care. Our heartfelt condolences.
New releases on Dhyana
Yeah, so it gets boring, the way I constantly feature Dhyana-records on this website, what do I care. Dhyana-records and its releases will never get boring for me. These releases are ahead: as precursors to the Dhyana-anniversary compilation for release #5 (see the cover here) which you can read about below, there will be a split-7" with Beautiful New Börn Children and The Swagger, which is going to be cool, and a compilation called "Secondhandhaircut" which just has to be cool. As all the compilations on Dhyana-records are. And after that there will be an album by Derek DePrator and the Atomic Crash - the first country-songwriter on Dhyana. More info: www.dhyanarecords.com
Existence Distro exists no more
Sometimes it is bad news. My favourite distro for fast, trashy, moshy and every other kind of hardcore and punk (real hardcore and punk, not the washed out punk on music-television) EXISTENCE DISTRIBUTION has called it quits after eight years. Yeaj, I only ordered once or twice in the last years, but what am I gonna do now? Who can I trust? Damn... (www.exdistro.com)
New record from Bulbul
As we heard, our favourite rock-band (in the broadest sense of the term) finished recording their next album which is due in May. Watch out! Fredl, main mind behind Bulbul, told us, that it contains stuff recorded fresh and other stuff he worked on during the last three years. However, Bulbul's fourth album is something to look out for, anyway. This one will be out on Trost-Records again. And there are plans for another Bulbul-record "in the pipeline", as the say, out on Mego, which means this one will be quite different to what we are used to.
Get clothed by Dhyana
Accompanying the fabulous #50 compilation on Dhyana-records (see below), which will feature 50 Bands on one LP seperated on the left and right channel of your stereo, there will be a special-edition t-shirt. Take a look at it here. Looks great, doesn't it? Order one here.
If you get tired of electronic music, you start listening to country
Favourite label Dhyana-records, from Augsburg, Germany, has announced the upcoming releases for the first half of 2003. After releasing lots of electronic (such as Die Frucht or Littlebrutalravebastards) and weird stuff (such as Inox Kapell or Troimoucha Cropsidulos) they have turned even more towards song-oriented stuff and even country/folk-induced stuff such as Thomas O. Huber (Will Oldhams brother in spirit from Salzburg, Austria) or Derek DePrator (country-singer-weirdo from godknowswhere). Also, the long announced 10" by 3 Shades of Blues and the anniversary-compilation (#50 !) are on their way. Remember, Dhyana always releases the best compilations around. Feel free to write to dhyana@dhyanarecords.com for more information and far-out stuff unavailable elsewhere.
Get on the Slam
SLAMZINE is a magazine from Austria dealing with alternative, punkrock, independent and metal music and is looking for bands from these genres to appear on the CD that will come with #10 of Slamzine. More infos at office@slam-zine.com or mirko@11pm.de. Great idea, if you think about it.
Buttholes' Double Live
It is not really new news, but worth a recommenation since I stumbled upon it just recently. The Butthole Surfer, legendary weirdo-rock-band from Austin, TX, put their infamous "Double Live" official bootleg from 1987 as free mp3s onto their website at www.buttholesurfers.com including back- and frontcover.jpgs. The soundquality is pretty good, for a bootleg of the late Eighties, and the music is definitely better than their latest albums. If you have free bandwith to enjoy, jump right in.
Punk-legends go shoemaking
Together with VANS-shoemakers, Social Distortian have produced a limited edition of "Old Skool"- and "Sk8-Hi"-sneakers for your pleasureable punk-footwear. Check it out here: http://store.socialdistortion.com . No answers were given as to why punk-legends have to do that? Well, you all discuss.
And even More Metal Madness
The first contributors to this year's Ozzfest were announced: There was Disturbed, Marilyn Manson and Korn. Everyone will see on MTV how this works out in Ozzy's daily routine.
More Metal Madness
Everyone's favourite hyper-fast-cyber-trash-metal-act Anal Cunt will release a 100-song-3"-CD on April 1st on Release-records (a subsidiary of Relapse-Records) This will give an average of about 4 seconds per song. Another great thing about it: with that format you can easily hide it from your mother.
Wedekind on the way to stardom
After high acclaim on various compilations and being nominated "alternative act of the year" on the Austrian Amadeus Awards (which is actually a specially despiceable piece of music business-trash) the young band Wedekind has now signed a contract with Defiance Records (Pale, Piebald, One Man and his droid, and many others). I am sure their style of Hardcore-gone-Placebo will definitely rock out with message and style. Also check at www.wedekind.at .
New jobs for movie-stars
After Ben Stiller and Stephen Dorf did a cameo-appearance in Limp Bizkit's "Rollin"-video and after the whole slew of stars, starlets and star-wanna-be's who appeared in Moby's "we are all made of stars"-video a trend has evolved in which movie-stars are playing the main parts in music-videos to boost their career(?). However, without closely searching for them I have come across Juliette Lewis playing a mad woman for Melissa Etheridge, Daryl Hannah playing a love interest for Robbie Williams and Vincent Gallo acting damn angry for Glassjaw. (Not so new: Some years ago Marlon Brando got a million dollars for a tiny appearance in a video for Michael Jackson. Ed.)
Metal-reverie through Europe
It
has to be mentioned, that two of my favourite metal-bands are touring Europe
together: The most progressive(!), complex metal-band around Mastodon
together with demonic slow warlord-metal High
On Fire. Check out your local venues and go see them, you won't be
disaappointed. This show was cancelled. Too bad.
New CD-Cover by Nick Cave
Okay, so it has never been a secret that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were about to release a new record. All that I could research is the title "Nocturama", that it is going to be a little "harder" and "wilder" than the last one and that the cover is already available via www.amazon.com. Why doesn't the last fact feel strange? And isn't that completely void of any information?
final ebullition
We are sorry to hear that finally Kent McClard calls it a day on ebullition records. Though we were never straight edge in any sense, the sincere and heartfelt way of handling things and speaking of opinions was always an impression and memento to us. And there were great records as well, from the design to the music. To get more infos, check the website at www.ebullitionrecords.com.
ATR blacklisted
Six years after its release and 500.000 copies already sold around the world, German authorities have put "Future of war" by Atari Teenage Riot on the index-list, which means that the record may not be sold or offered publicly. The reason is obviously the depiction of racist acts by nazis and skinheads against asylant- and refugee-houses (you remember that from the news, don't you) which, of course, ATR are against. Wether you like Atari Teenage Riot and Alec Empire or not, that is a stupid thing to do.
assorted news
Remember Programm C – some time ago they were Austrias #1 Hardcore team. Now 3/5 of them are back under the name of Karen (which was the title of Programm C’s album on Invertebrata by the way.) Mentioning Invertebrata: They are working on a 7" by Cracked-faves Bulbul, who are recording some tracks right now. Mentioning 7"es: the Valina-7" on Substance-Records, which ought to start a whole series of singles under that name, has been postponed due to some technical reasons, but should be out soon.
Dhyana goes 50
Dhyana-Records is one of my favorite record-labels because they are obeying to the only rule that makes sense: release the music you want to hear yourself / follow the ideas you have. Plus, their musical output, though eclectic as an urban zoo, is close to mine. And now they are headed off to their fiftiest release and want to celebrate that with a special compilation: 50 bands on one vinyl-album with a bonus idea: each stereo-channel will feature different tracks. That is: on the left you'll hear one band on the right you'll hear another band. Contributors will be, among others: Harald "Sack" Ziegler, The Haters, ONQ, Minmae, Jean Bach, Yacopsae, F.S.Blumm, Doghouse, Deep, Kitty Empire, Nik Kershaw, and oh so many more. This will be great.
And there is another great idea: one of the next releases will be a triple-9"-split-flexi (!) with Deep, Yacopsae and Weezer (!!). Only 50 pieces will be produced so hurry up. This is where you'll get em: www.dhyanarecords.com
Bloodshed ahead
The punklabel/distro/mailorder-imperium bloodshed has announced upcoming releases by Austrian Punk / Core-bands Desperate Cry and Brambilla. Since Desperate Cry were the first band to be interviewed by Cracked-fanzine back in the day, and since Brambilla is a fave-band with some friends partaking, I am glad to announce their new records. More info at www.bloodshed666.com.
What did'ya expect from a drug-addict?
Favourite country-rocker and ex-prison-inmate Steve Earle recorded a song for his upcoming album ("Jerusalem") which has already caused uproar in the American music scene, because in this song he writes from the viewpoint of John Lindh, the US-citizen who was captured in Afghanistan as a member of al-Quaida. The song is about an outsider, who finds spiritual freedom and acceptance in a world that is 100 % different from his home-country - a story not to be told in a country closing in and preparing for world-wide war. I'll buy that album, I tell 'ya.
Trost comes again
Because the recordings Valina did with Steve Albini in Chicago (see below) turned out so well, Trost records decided to release some of them on a seven inch (in september) as an h'ors deuvre to the full album, which will come in november. They founded a new label for this called Substance record (after the store). Moreover, Holly May have finished recordings and a new release is ahead from them. Excellent, he said grinning loudly.
New Gecko
Pille Weibel has managed to compile a new issue of his very interesting GECKO-Newsletter, which is four double-sided A4-pages chock-full with information, adresses, reviews and comments on obscure underground home-made music that ranges from anarchic hardcore to all kinds of noises. He even features a lot of tape-reviews. If you know a lot in here, you are really far astray from the musical mainstream. Pille also does the Gürteltier-Tapes so put some money in an enveleope and let him send you a selection and the newsletter at Pille Weibel, POBox 5037, 6002 Luzern, Swizzerlanth, or geckonews@gmx.net or http://chinchilla.widerstand.org .
Valina & Albini - a match made in heaven
Our favourite noise-post-core-rockers (whatever) VALINA have returned from the Midwest of the USA after three tight weeks of touring, sightseeing and mainly recording their new album with Steve Albini himself. They say it was a great experience and the record turned out really good. After some more touring in a.o. Belgium, the record will be released in October 2002 on Trost and Conspiracy. I am really looking forward to that.
Zomba zombied but rich
The former owner of Zomba-records realized the put-option in his contract with the Bertelsman Media Group, which in return for his complete shares of Zomba-records gets him 3 billion Euros! Fuck, that is a good big amount of money. For all of you, who only remember Zomba as something that came from Rough Trade: you are old. Lately this label has been owning Brittney Spears and The Backstreet Boys (or so...)
The Boss rises again
On July 29th the new album by "The Boss" and one of my special youth-heroes Bruce Springsteen will be released. It is called "The Rising" and he has been recording together with the original E-Street-Band, for the first time since, I guess, "Born in the USA" and that was in 1984. Can't wait.
Shnoop da Snoop
Ever wanted to know what "shizzle my nizzle" really means? Well, here is your chance. Snoop Doggy Dogg has released his first triple-X hardcore-porn-movie. Actually, he is not starring in it. As we hear, he narrates the story (well, story...) and recorded six songs for the soundtrack. If you have a copy of that movie that you want to share, please send it over to us. Because for one, we confess to a certain fascination for the female form, and second, we'd like to see a rapper get true to his image.
Can't stop, won't stop
American recording has announced that there is a fourth record by Johnny Cash to be released in the near future. As you all know, we sincerly love the Ol' Man in Black. See here. As on the other parts, and actually almost every record by the man, there will be some of his own compositions and some coverversions, and since the latter ones included Soundgarden, Will Oldham, Nick Cave and Beck amongst a lot of others, these will be awaited eagerly. As far as we heard, Cash will do covers by Nine Inch Nails and Sting. Seventy years old and still going strong, that is something.
Re-trosted
Trost label / shop / mailorder has relaunched their website, and I gotta say, it looks cool. Database-searching of titles as well. (Word up to tomatom-webmaster and wombat-design) Even though I have the feeling that not all titles are included yet and that there is still some things to clean out, I’d encourage you all to take a look at www.trost.at.
New
Stars
Interstellar Records finally released the ANALENA / SENSUAL LOVE "it´s never too late to split up" split CD / 10inch in cooperation with GET OFF REC. Im really looking forward to hearing that one.
No More Slapping
Slap A Ham is no more. After 13 years of releasing the finest in fast, crazy, high-speed-trash (once called powerviolence) the label has stopped because... they are broke. They have amounted to many debts, which the cash-flow couldn’t keep up anymore. Seems to show that punks aren’t born businessmen, y’know.
Slap a Ham will exist for a few more months as a mailorder, to sell stock of the label and m.o. The records won’t be repressed, so they’ll be collector’s items soon. Get your discs now, before you’ll have to pay 100‘s of Dollars on ebay. Check via www.slapaham.com Announced releases are transferred to befriended labels, such as Deep Six or 625.
Reunion
N°3
DAG
NASTY are about to release a record on Revelation called „Minority of one“.
Do I have to be afraid or anticipating? „Wig out at Denko’s“ and „can I
say“ are records, that still carry on, but ever since then... I mean „Four
on the floor“ and especially „Field Day“ were mediocre (to be nice). What
is the motivation in reuniting a third time, if the first and second reunion
wasn’t that great? (They’re gonna say, we never spilt up anyway. – We just
played in a dozen different bands in the meantime. Oooh.) On the other hand,
this is the original line-up and they are recording with Don Zientera in the
Inner Ear studios in Washington, D.C. just like in the good old days. I’m
gonna listen to it as soon as it is out and tell you. That is on July 23rd.
20 Years of Dischord
Dischord
will release a 3 cd box set containing a song from everyband on dischord that
has been previously released, a 130 page booklet and maybe some unreleased
stuff, to celebrate its 20th birthday (release date: 3rd
Sept). Check this,
for a label that has released about 6 records per year average, Dischord has had
quite some impact.
Japanese noise-raid over Europe
KK NULL will do a tour through "Russia and South / East Europe" (as the newsletter said) and inbetween St. Petersburg, Moscow, Belgrad, Sarajevo and Banja Luka he will play at the Rhiz on 2nd May 2002. (I tell you, Austria belongs to the CEE.) ZENI GEVA will do another European-Tour this summer, but unfortunately they will not come to Austria. Check out their dates on www.kknull.com.
Atomixxx Kitten
During a soundcheck Atomic Kitten exchanged the refrain of their hitsingle "You can make me whole again" with the lines "You can lick my hole again" and "You got the wrong hole again". Funny. Some engineer recorded the whole shamboozle and now there are mp3s of that alternate version flowing through the internet. Purrrr.
Just my luck
You can't even trust friendship anymore. The singer of AS FRIENDS RUST has left the band for "personal differences". Just when I made myself write a review on their record, which is good. But, isn't than an excuse only used by bigger bands?
More Generic Metal-Soundtracks
Not only is Resident Evil the best movie of the year, the soundtrack features the coolest bands around, such as SLIPKNOT and FEAR FACTORY. (see below, and, yes, I am kidding.) But did you know that MARILYN MANSON has written three instrumental scores for the movie? The company spread promo-CDs in cinemas that contain snippets, i.e. one minute of a song by each band mentioned. And some screensavers. Big companies are getting meaner all the time.
Also the soundtrack for Blade 2 could be a winner. "Immortal"-boss Happy Walters, who is also responsible for the soundtracks to Judgement Night (metal meets rap) and Spawn (rock meets electro), has brought together electro-acts and rappers. Get out those smiling cigarrettes. Actually, I like these generic soundtracks, e.g. Scream 3 (collected by Creed). I don't know why.
No Fear Factory
Looks as if Machine Head won out in the long run. Anyway, cyber-metal-dudes Fear Factory announced their break up earlier this month. I used to like them. And Machine Head. Anway, if you want more of their heavy-duty-fast-as-fuck metal you can either get a newly released DVD, check out the Soundtrack to Resident Evil (or listen to Machine head). It's time to check out the cheapo-bins on record-fairs for these specially packaged first editions of FF-CDs. They looked cool.
Swamp Music
Trost released the new "Sumpf"-compilation (Volume 2), a collection of music chosen by the two heads behind the radio-show "Im Sumpf" (in the swamp), which features songs too good for this world and is hailed as the best sumpf-compilation since the first sumpf-compilation. I have heard it, it is great. Read more about it here.
Happy Sad - life is country music
While we are happy to celebrate the 70th birthday of our hero Johnny Cash, we are sad to hear that Waylon Jennings, another hero, died on February 13th. So it goes. If you want to know more check these sites: www.johnnycash.com or www.waylon.com or refer to our "best records of all time"-section.
Drukqs unsourced
The root of what we called "THE electronica record of the year" was delivered to our ears by one very acute and introspective informer flar.t. Apparantly Richard James forgot his MP3-player filled with unreleased tracks on an airplane. To avoid further damage in internet-bootlegging, the record company decided to release these unfinished tracks as a proper record. Voila "Drukqs". Actually, I believe it, because it explains the record. And something about us.
Get skin-grafted
After something of a hiatus in the last years, Skin Graft, everybodys favorite record label from Chicago, is back in the works with five hot records to boost: New LP/CDs by ARAB ON RADAR, CHEER ACCIDENT (CD only), FLOSSIE AND THE UNICORN (LP only) and Q ELECTRONICS (=Quintron & Drum Buddy). To keep your noise-glands wet and your brain-lobes shiny. Especially Arab On Radar and Cheer Accident promise to be quite some treats. Read more here soon. Moreover, there will be another RUINS-compilation of rare & unreleased tracks out in February!! Mailorder-action via www.trost.at!
Dave re-slayed
Dave Lombardo will rejoin mighty metal-gods SLAYER on their upcoming tours, because the current drummer paul Bostaph called it quits. Seems as if the animosities between Lombardo and King, Arraya and Hannemann weren't so insurmountable after all. According to official wording the re-joining of Lombardo is only temporarily until a decent substitute for Bostaph / Lombardo will be found. Nothing has been said about Lombardos duties with FANTOMAS yet.
On another note: An American judge refused a charge by the parents of a girl that was strangled last year by juveniles who were SLAYER-fans. The charge included the prohibition of advertisement for SLAYER-records and of the sale of their CDS to minors. The judge ruled that the music of SLAYER is neither "obscene" nor "indecent" so that he couldn't detect any bad influence on minors. Well, they have to try harder...
Austrian Insect Hardcore
Invertebrata Records (inofficially) announced the upcoming release of a 7" by SENSUAL LOVE and a 12" by MAR. The MAR-12" was long in the making, I guess, over 18 months, including various (near)-break ups and style-changes of the band. Those damn "rock stars"...
Washington-Scene
The FUGAZI-Song "Waiting Room" was chosen to be the official hymn of the football-team Washington Redskins. Or so we hear. Can it be true? Ian McKaye supposedly is a big Redksins-Fan. But do the lyrics "I am a patient boy / I wait / I wait / I wait" really fit the sport? What about the teams name? Where will it all end?
Rumours department (2)
If everything works out fine, VALINA will record their next album with Steve Albini. Connections were made when Valina opened up for Shellac in Munich, in what must have been the best show of 2001 (which I, as usually, missed.)
Rumours department (1)
HOLLY MAY have done some recording with Jimi Vicksburg. Jimi who? More to come...
Texas Troubadour
New years day 2002 will be the fifth anniversary of the day TOWNES VAN ZANDT died. Come on, have a drink on the man.
Punks and god
Campino, singer of semi-legendary and still-alive-and-kicking german punkrock-band Toten Hosen (dead trousers) takes times off from the exhausting punkrock-life every other year or so and retreats into a catholic convent. He calls Pater Stefan one of his best friends and says that spending time in the peace and quiet of church and religious life gives him strength and energy. And what about "No Gods, no masters"? (This was shown on german public TV, where Pater Stefan constantly called punks "the colored people" - colored as in lots of colores, not black. Maybe Campino thought he could tell that on german public TV, since no real punkrocker watches public TV, but he didn't count us into his little scheme. The shiny choirboy.)
Luciano Cavalera and Max Pavarotti
Please, anybody give us some information about something we found on the internet the other week: an mp3 of „Roots Bloody Roots“ engraved with „Sepultura and Pavarotti“ in which a classical singer can be heard over the stomping metal. We can’t believe it is real, even though it is cool, somehow...
Buzzo talks
Attention all journalists peddling the idea of interviewing the Melvins. As we are told, King Buzzo likes to comment questions he doesn't like with drawing a big Bowie-knife, then asking the interviewer to repeat the question. So, be prepared: come with a list of quality-questions and a gun.
What promises?
The Promise Ring have finished recording their new album and since „Very Emergency“ is still one of my favorite emo-rock/pop-records this is a news-bit to be written up here. BUT: there are bad signs on the horizon: They recorded in England with Stephen Street (producer for Smiths, Blur and The Cranberries) and they changed their arrangements to include „...layers of piano, drum machines and the odd junky synthesizer“. Sounds like the Radiohead-bandwagon to me.
Cold as Richard Hell
Punk-legend Richard Hell has released a a collection of writings, essays, lyrics, illustrations, photography, interviews, prose and poetry as a book called „Hot and cold“. Who is the guy? Well, what Ian Mckaye was to the early 80's DC Hardcore punk scene, Richard Hell was to the downtown New York city 1970's underground music scene. Hell co-founded the band Neon Boys, Television, the Heartbreakers, and the Voidvoids. I am told, this is „...great fucking book“.
Patton Escape Plan?
Dillinger Escape Plans newest website update confirms Faith No More's Mike Patton will be lending his vocals to the upcoming 18 min Dillinger EP. Patton will NOT, however, be a permanent addition to the line-up.
Stick by your trade, jack
Musicians from oh-so-great rockbands like Korn, Linkin Park and Orgy have dsigned clothing for the rad Hot Topic-Company in the USA. Actually, these designs are just logos of the „replicant“-brand and they are quite bland and not very creative, but check them out at http://www.hottopic.com/. You can also see, where Gothics buy sexy underwear and those long vinyl dresses (oversizes available)....
Like a death in the family
Oh boy, not them! NOOTHGRUSH has broken up. They were one of the great bands, that nobody knows. I'm really sad to hear about it, but the good news is that the band plans to release two discography CDs, one of which will be released on Slap A Ham in November 2001. The title is "Failing Early, Failing Often". If you can supply me with a full discography, send it to me please.
3x comfort by Trost
Trost-Record announced three new releases, which you oughtta get: BULBUL offers #3 in his 3inch-CD series dealing with environmental sounds. This one is called "velo", comes in a plastic-box (like those little kits used to repair broken wheels) and features, you guessed it, bicycle-noises. HOLLY MAY is the ressurection of the long-gone WHYMANDRAKES - four girls making beautiful and melancholic songs on one MCD. Finally, MELVILLE take you backto the heydays of spanish and french trash-movies with an easy-listening-soundtrack called "musica sentimental para las senoreas" (a 12" vinyl-treatment). You'll get more on these releases as soon as I can lay hands on them and listen through them carefully. Which will be tomorrow, because on the 5th of October Trost-records opened their regular shop in Vienna! If you come here, stop by on Westbahnstraße 16, 1070 Vienna.
It's a deal, man!
John Wiese of Helicopter-Records and Bastard-Noise-fame is producing acetate-7"es in a limited edition. The featured artist will be SISSYSOACEK and the title is "hotel skeleton", which is all quite promising. Orders recieved by 14th November will be produced. Remember, acetate means the heavy metal fucker used to produce actual singles. That's why the price is rather nifty: $30ppd us / $35ppd world. Write to: johnwiese@earthlink.net
Dhyana: New Food for your Ears
Soon, Dhyana-Records, well known for its wonderful, crazy and beautiful 7"es, will spill out another quartett of very promising releases. I am tickled pink in expectation, and so should you. Titles include: 3 SHADES OF BLUE - "Mr. Engineer" (someting with guitars, yeah!), DIE FRUCHT - "Supersad" (they had the most wonderful electro-7" last year!!!), PANZERBOY 666 - s/t (what a name!) and a compilation with all-time-faves DEEP, NHLSM, ISTARI LASTERFAHRER and SLACKISM. Check out more info here. Now.
Crematory burned out
After 10 years of "success" German Metal-band CREMATORY calls it quits. They release a double-CD-pack (live/unreleased/ultrarare-stuff) with a 60-pages-booklet as farewell-present. Oh, well...
European MTV-watchers get lucky
While US-MTV has very strong restrictions concerning the content of videos, European MTV seems rather loose. WEEZER had to rename their song "Hash Pipe" into "Half Pipe" in the US. DINOSAUR JR had to replace a "fuck" with a "freak". Well, it all goes back to Johnny Carson anyway. On European MTV watchers are treated to the bare-chested strippers in MONSTER MAGNETS "Heads Explode"-Video. N.E.R.D.S. video to the song "Lapdance" is a nice soft-porno, even more frank than "Plug me in" by ADD N TO X. That's all well, I guess, but they still censore ALANIS MORISSETTE?
Yahoo-Mosh
It is incredible. Yahoo has its own category for MOSHING. Check here: http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Genres/Rock_and_Pop/Moshing/
Robbie rules
ROBBIE WILLIAMS, the greatest entertainer of this century for sure (ehrm... enough with the fandom, please!) included two surprising songs into his live-repertoire: a punked-up version of THAKE THAT's "Back for good" and a true-to-the-original version of LIMP BIZKIT's "rollin'". Yeah, the guy knows how to have fun.
Hazeldine as a goth-band?
After a radio-broadcast of a live-concert of the female-fronted, alt-country-band Hazeldine, the radiostation recieved calls from various angry concert-goers, who claimed that the radio-broadcast was nothing like the real concert, that the band sounded "darker and slower and too much like Johnny Cash." As was found out later, the concert was recorded with 48 kHz sample-rate, but broadcast with 44,1 kHz sample-rate (CD-Rate). If you don't understand this, ask Steve Albini.
Death Comeback
Is it the dawning of a new highpoint of a scene or just the backlash before the complete drying out? Two legendary, Austrian Death Metal-Bands have announced comebacks, which of course means, new CDs. One is DISASTROUS MURMUR from Klagenfurt. The other one is one of the few bands from Austria, who have found recognition in the world - aside from Falco, DJ Ötzi or Marque: PUNGENT STENCH. Tune your ears for some heavy riffing and deep growls.
Check your organizers and fill in these dates:
For the third nearly-festival organized by Viennese hardcore-label Hammerwerk, some of the finest bands in today's hard-as-a-bunch-of-year-old-donuts-hardcorebands were announced: Y, Grievance, Lumen, Mein eines Fleisch, Yacopsae, and then some. If I remember correctly, this will happen on 29th of September in the EKH.
Another date will be Schlachthaus Wels on the 11th of November, where SHELLAC will play. See you there.
Turn out turn in
We are very sorry to hear that Austrian premium noise-core-band Turn Out calls it quits. Even though they played only instrumentals, they were able to fry your brain. Let's call it stew-noise then, shall we? Anyway, sorry and sorry again. We just hope the guys will keep on someway.
Interstellar 4-way tape-comp.
The line-up of the upcoming 4-way-tape-comp on Interstellar Records is now known. It is going to be: Calamari: Autopsy, Mute Audio, Interstate 35 and K.K.Null. Expect to have your eardrums rocked. Besides, their website www.interstellar.at will be ready in 12 months maximum. Moreover, Interestellar will release the vinyl-version of the upcoming album by Quetzal named “dead end tracks”. CD provided by Consipracy-Records.
Helicopter landings
Bastard Noise is one of the few noise-bands hardcore-crust-kids listen to. But everyone should, really. John Wiese, who joined BN circa two years ago, just released a new comp of old and new material, collaborations with Facialmess and Spastic Colon on his own helicopter-label. He also released a 7” and a CD by Sissy Spacek, which is him and Cory Ronnau.
Songs against mp3.com
Hard times for the new economy and even harder times for free-service-providers but good times for lawyers (as always). Tom Waits, Randy Newman and the band Heart have sued mp3.com for infringement of copyrights with 270 songs of these songwriters, which allegedly are stowed away on the servers of mp3.com somewhere. The lawsuit strikes in at 40.5 million US-Dollars. That’s a lot of records you to sell over the counter. A disappointment with Ol’ Tom, though.
Death-metal goes DVD
Earache, renowned metal-label, strikes further into multimedia-territory. The english label has announced the release of three DVDs: the legendary Carcass will be featured on “Wake up and smell the carcass”, techno-metal-pioneers Godflesh will have 5 videos on one (low-price)disc “In all languages” plus a 2CD with rarities, remixes & best ofs. Finally, Entombed can be experienced on the nicely named “Monkey Puss”-DVD. Good grief, those Earachers will even release a book by Mortiis named “Secret of my kingdom” in september.
More news from the overground
It is rumored that Joey Ramone died to the U2-song “In a little while”. We guess, it was because. Kjat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland) didn’t want to play in Courtney Love’s (Hole) new band, because Courtney made contact exclusively through her management, didn’t mention the music and had long lists of do’s and don’ts, e.g. no drugs. We guess, the no shotguns-rule seems legit. Most important news: The new album by – yes! – Slayer is announced for 2nd July and will be called “God hates us all”.
Jurassic
Punk Records is dead. Long live Interstellar Records.
Those crazy punk&noise-freaks from upper Austria have finally dumped the name of their record label. “It was a good joke, but it has worn out” says Richie, mastermind of sales and strategy. And, as they always do, they go out and come in with a bang. Great releases await us, carrying the new moniker: Interstellar Records: A split-CD with SENSUAL LOVE and BUG is well on it’s way and promises to be a big hit with fans of noiserock and stressy hardcore. A CD-Sampler “AD NAUSEAM” sporting the crème of Austrian Guitar&Noise-makers (Deadzibel, Kobayashi, Head of Yagan, Valina, Bulbul, Turn Out, a.m.o.) is to follow. All the while rumours about a 4-way-tape-box with, among others, K.K.NULL of Zeni Geva-fame are becoming facts.
You can reach newborn Interstellar Records at www.interstellarrecords.at.
20 years of Dischord
My my, it’s been a long time. Dischord records, one of the few “big” record labels, where even the most neurotic of nitpickers won’t find any clue of selling-out, has been going for over 20 years now, and that is definitely reason enough to celebrate. And how do labels celebrate? Right, special compilation records. And Dischord might make that a triple-CD with 128pages-booklet with all bands ever featured on the label in chronological order. Gratulations! www.dischord.com
MAR to be 1st full album on Invertebrata
Invertebrata,
a division of the mighty Discomob-Society, announced that works for the LP/CD by
Austrian HC-heroes MAR are well under way. This will be the first album both for
the label and the band. A T-Shirt is also on the way.
After that, a 7” by SENSUAL LOVE is to follow. Quite prolific these days, those guys from Sensual Love (see top of the page).
SLAPALHAMBRA
Slap A Ham, the first adress for dedicated powerviolence, has a new adress: P.O.Box 7337, Alhambra, CA 97802-7337, USA. They also announced new records by Fuck On The Beach (Japan), Yacopsae (Germany) and Shank (Scotland) as well as a new issue of “Short, Fast and loud”-Zine. And before you ask, yes, Spazz are still broken up, but compilations with material of varius sources continue to pop up under the name of Sweatin”. www.slapaham.com
Colossal Melvins
Is a new CD by the Melvins reason enough to make the front page? Most definitely. Even if it’s their fifth album in one year. “Colossus of destiny” was recorded live, features one track clocking in at nearly one hour and is released by Ipecac. As they say: “Don’t waste your time on insignificant musical drivel. Listen to the Melvins.”
Karate solved
If your recordings for your new CD were too long to fit on one slab of vinyl to please discerning ears, but weren’t enough to fill more than 3 sides of vinyl, what is there to do? Cracked favorites KARATE solved the riddle and filled side four with old and hard-to-find-tracks to please those vinyl enthusiasts. That it took several months to unravel all the gems might put a slight dent into the euphoria, but hey, the 2Lp is out finally.
Psychedelic Noise-Bomb
Our rumor department has snapped up word, that Ween are recording an album with the Boredoms. Together, no split-record. To be released on Mike Patton’s Ipecac. (See Melvins further up). It’s time, Ipecac got a good european distro to make those gems a little cheaper.
