Wednesday, November 28th, 2007

…And The Ravages Of Time

Nothing but randomness today so starting things off with the first stills from the new Indiana Jones film, via Goldenfiddle, is as good a way to go as any. I can only hope that the scene pictured ends with Harrison pushing Shia LaBeouf into a bottomless pit. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is out May 22 of next year.

And keeping on topic with old-timers seeing if there’s gas left in the tank, Billboard is your one-stop shop for shoegazer reunion news. Firstly, they report that My Bloody Valentine’s comeback album will be released in digital download form whenever it arrives with a possibility of a vinyl edition later on, though Wired came along shortly thereafter and debunked that. This much is known for sure – when the new My Bloody Valentine record is released, it will be done so in at least one, possibly multiple, formats of some description. A wet blanket has also been thrown on rumours that the band will appear at Coachella 2007 with their management saying that the UK reunion gigs will be their first live appearances.

Secondly, they get an update from the brothers Reid about progress on the new Jesus & Mary Chain record, possibly out in late Spring or early Summer of 2008.

CMJ, for their part, confirm that there will indeed be a new Verve release before Christmas… just not of new material. The This Is Music: The Singles 92-98 compilation from 2004 will be re-released to cash in on excitement surrounding the band’s reunion though this time it will come with a companion DVD with all the band’s videos collection on one handy shiny platter. The perfect gift for the Verve fan in your life who, paradoxically, doesn’t own any of their material.

And thanks to Bradley’s Almanac for pointing out this slightly old blog entry at The Guardian from House Of Love frontman Guy Chadwick in advance of their Don’t Look Back show in September where they played live the entirety of their first self-titled album.

The AllMusic blog isn’t quite done going over the Brit Box but this time they’ve got laurels instead of darts, thanks to the set’s inclusion of Superstar. Then they have more darts for the set’s omission of the C-86 scene.

The Riverfront Times is rather more productive, offering up two discs worth of bands (and corresponding MP3s) who were left out of the set and rather shouldn’t have been.

And a reminder to everyone that my Brit Box contest still has a few days to run and I’ve just been told that my restricting it to only North Americans is not necessary – in other words, it’s open to anyone and everyone wherever you may roam. So any Brits out there who want what would probably just be called Box over there, feel free to chime in and enter.

Wireless Bollinger talks to Nick Peill about the past and future of Fields. Speaking of whom, if anyone has an MP3 of their cover of MBV’s “When You Sleep” kicking around…

Spin offers up a bite-sized taste of new Clientele, taken from Big Top, a new film made by and starring absolutely no one of note (is Devon Reed someone? Illuminate me). But featuring a a pretty impressive soundtrack.

MP3: The Clientele – “Your Song”

PopMatters talks to PJ Harvey.

Editors return to North America early next year to delight Anglophiles and aggravate critics. Their Toronto date is January 22 at the Kool Haus and support will be Hot Hot Heat and Louis XIV.

Chart reports that progress is being made on Mogwai’s next album. With a working title of The Hawk Is Circling, the band aims to have it ready for a Fall ’08 release.

Aversion talks to Film School.

Illinoise noisemakers (but not Illinoisemakers) Headlights will release their sophomore effort Some Racing, Some Stopping on February 19. Maybe THIS record will see them touring north of the border.

Sigur Ros stickman Orri Pall Dyrason discusses their current releases – the Hvarf/Heim CDs and the Heima film – with Chart.

Paste declares The National’s Boxer their album of the year and backs it up with an extensive feature article though it’s probably not as insightful as this interview between The Exile and Matt Berninger. Sample question – “If a Russian oligarch wanted you to play his tween daughter’s b-day party for $1 million, but you had to lipsynch the whole show and wear sparkly outfits, would you do it?” Stereogum has their reprinted Paste’s full top 100 for 2007 and a peanut gallery’s worth of comments while Paste has also posted their staff picks for the best of the year.

The Times meets St Vincent.

Finally coming to town for a properly-sized venue and presumably full band tour, Josh Ritter will be at the Phoenix on March 4 with Emm Gryner supporting.

I don’t think anyone’s ever asked to see Saturday Looks Good To Me frontman Fred Thomas dance… and yet in the first video from Fill Up The Room, dance he does. Dance dance dance.

Video: Saturday Looks Good To Me – “Money In The Afterlife” (Vimeo)

Aimee Mann discusses the (lack of) concept behind her new album Smilers, due out Spring of next year, with Billboard. The (meaning Billboard) also gets some info on Kathleen Edwards’ new album Asking For Flowers, set for a March 4 release. And also coming in March is the new one from DeVocthKa.

By : Frank Yang at 8:31 am
Category: Uncategorized
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  1. Chris says:

    actually, I think that stereogum list is just a reprinting of the paste list

  2. Frank says:

    yes it is – was I not clear? Sorry, I rearranged that paragraph a few times, clarity was probably lost. I will edit to make more obvious.

  3. Chris says:

    Sorry Frank, I couldn’t dig up that MBV cover (as I had to go hunting after you mentioned it!. Strangely, I did find a Twilight Singers version of it though….

    http://www.hypem.com/track/