Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Paul Westerberg covers David Bowie
paulwesterberg.comIf Twitter is to be believed – and when has it ever been wrong about anything? – then yesterday was International Bowie Day, a day to pay tribute to all things thin white and duke-like. Which makes this the day after International Bowie Day. But every day is a good day for Bowie so I’ll not worry too much about being a day late, I prefer to think of it as being 364 days early for next year’s edition.
Point being, this week’s selection pays homage to not one but two of today’s great musical recluses. David Bowie, of course, hasn’t released a record of new music since 2003, toured since 2004 and sung live since 2006. And this trending downwards of activity hasn’t been accompanied by any formal statement of retirement or anything, thus keeping a flicker of hope in his legions of fans’ hearts that he might return to active duty soon, even though there’s no signs of that happening.
Paul Westerberg hasn’t quite pulled the same disappearing act, but his last widely available release was the soundtrack to the animated feature Open Season – not quite what one might expect from the man who fronted one of America’s greatest and most self-destructive rock bands in The Replacements. Since then he’s kept a pretty low profile when not tending to the Mats’ legacy via a steady stream of reissues, but occasionally pops up with digitally self-released homebrew albums or in the case of a couple weeks ago, a new 7″ under the guise of “Mr. F”. If nothing else, Westerberg is clearly keeping himself amused and his fans on their toes. Which is really how it should be.
And what Bowie and Westerberg have in common is this – a cover of the former’s “John, I’m Only Dancing” done by the latter way back in 1996, when Bowie was turning out a record every other year (Outside came in ’95, Earthling in 97) and Westerberg was working his second solo record Eventually. It was recorded for a radio session at San Francisco’s KFOG, the whole of which you can grab over at Captain’s Dead.
MP3: Paul Westerberg – “John, I’m Only Dancing”
Video: David Bowie – “John, I’m Only Dancing”
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
JagjaguwarWho: Delorean and Small Black
What: Two electro-dance-pop acts with big debuts hailing from either side of the Atlantic – Delorean bringing Subiza from Barcelona and Small Black crafting New Chain in Brooklyn.
Why: With both of their tours hitting Toronto on the same night, rather than force Torontonians to choose one or the other, they’ve teamed up for one big dance party, Voltron-style
When: Thursday, November 18, 2010
Where: The Mod Club in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Delorean brings Lemonade as support while Small Black brings Class Actress along for the ride.
How: Tickets are $15 in advance – there’s value for ya – but courtesy of Embrace, I have three pairs of passes to give away for the show. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want a Small Black Delorean” in the subject line and your full name in the body, and have that in to me before midnight, November 16.
What else: Austinist chats with Delorean while Small Black tell Spinner they’re going to work with Brian Eno if it kills them.
MP3: Delorean – “Real Love”
MP3: Small Black – “Photojournalist”
MP3: Small Black – “Search Party”
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
Nino AndresWho: Os Mutantes
What: Brazillian psychadelic-rock legends carrying on a reunion started in 2006, following an almost 30-year hiatus
Why: 2009’s Haih or Amortecedor was the band’s first new release in 35 years, so you’re damn skippy they’re going to tour behind it.
When: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Where: The Opera House in Toronto (19+)
Who else: Co-headlining this tour are Californian nu-school psych-pop outfit Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
How: Tickets are $20 in advance, but courtesy of Union Events, I’ve got five pairs of passes to give away. To enter, email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Os Mutantes” in the subject line and your full name in the body. Contest closes at midnight, November 15.
MP3: Os Mutantes – “Anagrama”
MP3: Os Mutantes – “2000 E Agarrum”
MP3: Os Mutantes – “O Mensageiro”
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Telekinesis use mental powers to create new album and tour without getting lost
Kyle JohnsonHaving pepped up the Summer of 2009 with his self-titled debut album, Seattle power-pop prodigy Michael Benjamin Lerner – aka Telekinesis – aims to make the Winter of 2011 a little more bearable with his/their sophomore effort 12 Desperate Straight Lines. Due out on February 15, the first sample is available at download courtesy of Spin and yeah, it’s as punchy and instantly hummable as anything on the debut.
And not to be content with just delivering musical sunshine via your speakers and/or headphones, Lerner and touring band will be hitting the road almost immediately after the record’s release to deliver it directly to your ears. Their North American tour takes them from west to east and back west again and includes a March 6 stop at The Horseshoe in Toronto.
MP3: Telekinsis – “Car Crash”
Spin talks to Colin Meloy of The Decemberists about their new record The King Is Dead, out January 18. No further details on the rumoured February 1 Toronto show but it occurred to me that if they’re looking to move up – capacity-wise – from their usual Kool Haus digs and Massey isn’t available… there’s the Sound Academy. Shudder.
MBV Music is streaming a new single from Sharon Van Etten, consisting of two tracks not found on her latest Epic. The 7″ is out November 16.
Spinner talks to The Radio Dept.’s Martin Larsson about some of the band’s less obvious musical influences. Their double-disc singles set Passive Aggressive is out January 25 and they play Lee’s Palace on February 7.
QRO, The Daily Tribune, The Quad and The Columbus Dispatch have interviews with Kate Nash, currently winding her way across North America and in town at the Phoenix tomorrow night, November 13.
Two Door Cinema Club talk to aux.tv. They’re back for their third local show in eight months on January 15 at the Kool Haus with Tokyo Police Club.
Modern Superstitions, who impressed when I saw them at the Halifax Pop Explosion, have released a new video and will have a release party/show for their debut EP All The Things We’ve Been Told at The Silver Dollar on November 19.
MP3: Modern Superstitions – “Visions Of You”
Video: Modern Superstitions – “Visions Of You”
The Journal has words with Dan Snaith of Caribou.
The Line Of Best Fit, Calgary Herald and See chat with Dan Mangan, who’s gone and gotten himself a shiny new website.
aux.tv asks five music and movie-related questions of Forest City Lovers’ Kat Burns.
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
Ride going Nowhere again
MyspaceThough I suspect they fall just on the wrong side of the bands reuniting vs profitability equation for them to ever get back together – if Radiohead couldn’t convince them to do it a few years back and open for them in their mutual hometown of Oxford, no one can – there’s still just enough going on with shoegaze godheads Ride that I can justify leading a post with this website’s namesake once in a while.
And in this case, it’s that Under The Radar reports their debut album Nowhere will be getting (another) reissue on December 21 via Rhino in commemoration of the record’s 20th anniversary. In addition to the eight tracks that appeared on the original LP, the three tracks from the Fall EP that were appended onto the original CD version and the four tracks from the brilliant Today Forever EP that were added to the 2001 reissue, in order to encourage those who already own one or more of the previous editions, this version will come with a second five-track CD featuring a 1991-vintage live show in Los Angeles. Can’t say as that I’ll be rushing out to pick this up, but it pleases me that there’s still enough interest and respect in the band and their music to justify packages like this. Update: Blurt has more details on the set, including the fact that the live disc will be a full 12 tracks and a heavyweight vinyl edition of the original eight-song Nowhere will also be released. Sweet.
MP3: Ride – “Vapour Trail”
Video: Ride – “Vapour Trail”
Some good, Ride-related news is that Andy Bell is again playing guitar. Bad news is that it’s in Beady Eye, Liam Gallagher’s new band with the bits of Oasis he’s not related to. They just made their first single available for download from their website and… well, it’s not going to make anyone forget that Noel was the songwriting talent of the band. Not even a little. The full-length is due next year Tangentially, Alan McGee tells BBC6 that he expects the Gallagher brothers to make up and re-form Oasis within a few years. I believe him.
Band Of Horses have announced Mojave 3 as support on their upcoming UK tour – this is exciting not because I will be attending any of those shows, but because it confirms Mojave 3 as an ongoing concern for Neil Halstead and hopefully Rachel Goswell. The band’s status post-Puzzles Of You has not been very clear, what with Goswell’s health concerns and Halstead’s solo career, but they’re still here! Huzzah.
MP3: Mojave 3 – “Some Kinda Angel” (live @ KCRW)
The Guardian and Vanity Fair look at the just-announced Pulp reunion and why it feels a little different/better than most other reunions despite it almost certainly just being done for the money. Elsewhere, 33revolutionsperminute dissects “Common People”.
Clash sends Kele to interview Gary Numan
Under The Radar reports that the recordings Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons made with The Dharohar Project while on tour in India earlier this year will be getting digitally released as an EP on December 7 entitled Laura Marling & Mumford & Sons & The Dharohar Project. Pitchfork is also streaming both sides of Marling’s just-released 7″ featuring Jackson C Frank and Neil Young covers. Mumford & Sons play a sold-out show at the Sound Academy on Saturday.
English post-punk godfathers Gang Of Four have slated a North American tour in support of their new album Content, due January 25. The tour begins on February 4 at the Phoenix in Toronto; tickets $30 in advance.
MP3: Gang Of Four – “Never Pay For The Farm”
Both Spin and Rolling Stone wonder, “where have you gone, David Bowie?” and come up with no answers that imply a return to music anytime soon, if ever. Coincidentally, The AV Club has assembled a primer on the works and phases of the Thin White Duke.
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