Consequence of Sound » Talking Heads http://consequenceofsound.net Think Fast, Listen Slowly Thu, 31 May 2012 17:50:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4-RC1-20950 No Destination: I Guess That This Must Be The Place http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/05/no-destination-i-guess-that-this-must-be-the-place/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/05/no-destination-i-guess-that-this-must-be-the-place/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/02/nodestinationslim2-200x100.jpg Wed, 23 May 2012 17:02:55 +0000 Rachel Bailey http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=217921

If the cover song is the highest form of musical flattery, then David Byrne must be tickled pink at how his 1983 classic “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” has fared over the years. It was perhaps most famously covered by Arcade Fire, with the endorsement (and participation) of Byrne, as a B-side to their single “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out).” But it’s also been moped over by the Counting Crows, stretched into a full-on jam by The String Cheese Incident, piped from a laptop by MGMT and whimpered by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, who prefaced his cover by saying “A lot of people have told me this is their favorite Talking Heads song.”

Byrne is an undeniably great songwriter, but so many of his songs are weirdo musings on a distinct topic, a la “Artists Only”’s searing send-up of art-school snobbery or “(Nothing But) Flowers’” longing for chain stores after the world becomes overgrown with — you got it — flowers. “This Must Be the Place” is one of few love songs Byrne wrote with Talking Heads, and he included it in Speaking in Tongues, perhaps the most accessible album they recorded. But it was more than just the right song at the right time.

There is something in Byrne’s impressionistic lyrics that touches people — especially, it seems, young people. “I’m just an animal looking for a home,” he sings, and who among us hasn’t felt that way in the post-graduate haze of our early twenties? Perhaps this is why, no matter how many covers of the song have surfaced over the years, each version seems to belong distinctly to its singer. Everyone who sings it sings from a personal place and means it in a way that only he can. Nearly 20 years after its original release, “This Must Be the Place” has become something greater than the sum of its parts, some pop culture version of a hymn or a cherished lullaby. It connects us not only to the beauty of the music itself, but also to all the people who have ever loved it or clung to it in a moment of joy or sadness.

There are times while you are traveling alone when the gravity of utter lonliness becomes suddenly and shockingly real, and all you want is to go someplace that feels like home. Out of nowhere, the things that have been sustaining you — the kindness of strangers, the baguette you stowed in your purse to take comforting bites of when you start feeling uneasy, finding a shady patch of grass where you can snatch a few precious moments of sleep — cease to keep at bay the edge of fear that make solo voyaging feel urgent and infused with meaning. In these moments, you imagine a camera focused on you from above, lingering on your face for a few moments before zooming out at a frightening speed, up above the tall buildings, then the clouds and finally through the atmosphere and beyond until the Earth is just a tiny speck in the frame, and you just a tiny speck upon it. Before you know it, your day of sightseeing has been intruded upon by some hint of the infinite and the knowledge that you’re actually totally powerless in the face of it all, and, well, it’s pretty heavy.

For me, this heady show-down with infinity started with a closed-down pizza shop. But first, there was Budapest.
After a week of good home cooking and farting around in Budapest with a Belgian Erasmus student and an American friend of mine from a stint teaching English in Korea, I was riding high on the notion that we all might, in fact, be Nietzschean ubermencsh on the verge of ushering in a new paradigm of human existence. It sounds ridiculous now, but we had spent the week in such perfect harmony with each other, experiencing even the smallest pleasures as so outrageously decadent, that it was easy to imagine we had tapped into some vein of existential knowledge inaccessible to most of the rest of humanity. Emboldened by the certainty that nothing in my life could ever go wrong again, I took a detour to Rome, where I had studied abroad some years before. If I was embracing invincibility, I figured, I might as well take an extra 24 hours of train travel just to stop in the Eternal City for my favorite pizza and gelato. Both were heavenly, holy almost, stunning representations of what man could do if he dedicated his life to the pursuit of perfection in one tiny niche.

It seems fitting, then, that the disappearance of this pizza from the world was enough to derail the hubris and relentless joy that had led me to Rome in search of thin-crust perfection. I arrived at 21 Via di San Francesco a Ripa, the home of Nick & Tony’s, on a clear and sunny afternoon, anticipating a day of gluttony. But Nick & Tony’s was gone, replaced by an upscale restaurant. And my flimsy excuse for this absurd indulgence of a trip was gone. Now I was here in the glaring sunlight, hungry, almost out of money and with no place to go. My old neighborhood, Trastevere, wasn’t full of the smiling, familiar faces that populated my daydreams on the train. It was just another strange place full of strange people, and I was just another white girl with a backpack, dodging aggressive drivers as they zoomed down the small alleys I was wandering.

I had been thinking of Rome so fondly, all dripping heaps of gelato and accidental sightings of the Pope, but as I slumped there on the cobblestones where Nick & Tony’s used to be, other memories started bubbling up, memories that didn’t support my fantasy of being fabulously enlightened and able to transcend pain. There was the time a barefoot man stumbled down the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon and shoved his hand up my dress as I tried to squeeze past him; or the night some guy tried to mug my friends using a comically long needle as a weapon; the Spanish boy from school who’d taken me out on a date and spent the night scolding me for eating too much and commenting on my “beer belly”; or the time the controllari caught me on the bus with no ticket and demanded I fork over 50 Euros on the spot or face jail time. Or that Fat Tuesday we decided to venture away from the ex-pat bars and my purse was stolen, along with my iPod, a music fanatic’s worst nightmare in the days before widespread Internet access. I’d spent the next four months singing Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” to myself as I walked to and from school.

That song had been with me every day of my old life in Rome, as constant as the club-footed beggar boy at Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere or the speakers that blared the Vatican’s church service in my neighborhood every Sunday. I sang that song to celebrate after I understood my first joke told in Italian. I’d hummed it in the kitchen the night our neighbors climbed up from their terrace and through the window of my flat to cook my roommates and I dinner. I started my walk to school from the Vatican each morning whistling the synth lines from the beginning, breaking into the first verse by the time I reached the Vittorio Emanuele II bridge and belting louder as I reached Trastevere’s sparsely populated streets. The man who guarded the door to my school once told me he always knew I was coming before he could see me, because he could hear me singing as I approached. That song was woven so deeply into the fabric of the five months I had lived in Rome, it had become a part of me and who I was there.

Back on the cobblestones, slouched over and wondering what to do next, the disappointment of this leg of my journey became so real and stood in such stark contrast to the bliss of the preceding week, I suddenly wanted the whole backpacking trip to be over. Everything I knew was wrong, and I wasn’t an ubermencsh at all, and the world did not, in fact, shift according to my plans and desires. I really was just a speck on a speck in the vastness of the universe. Then, for some reason, “This Must Be the Place” faded in to my consciousness. A light went on. Maybe the place I had hoped to go and get a taste of my old life was gone, but one of the most fundamental touchstones of that life was right there in my bag.

I fished my iPod from my purse, popped in my earbuds and cued up the song, and the city seemed to come into focus around me, same as it ever was. In a few notes, the feeling of being lost and alone in a strange place washed away, and Rome transformed back into a place I knew and remembered fondly. I hauled myself to my feet, shouldered the backpack and began walking nowhere in particular, keeping time to the music with my feet. Here was the familiar smell of orange peels ditched on the street. There, the buzz of a Vespa. From a window above, the sounds of that regular at the café, the one who never stops whistling. And here comes that handsome Brit from the gallery down the street, the one all the girls at school used to fawn over. A short walk away was Old Bridge Gelateria, my other reason for visiting, and I could call on my old fruit vendor on the way there. I could still have my gluttonous Roman afternoon, and I could finally soundtrack my walk along the Tiber not with my own whistling, sputtering version of the song, but with the lovely original rendition. Besides, there were plenty of other good pizzerias in Rome.

I had come back to the Eternal City after weeks of travel and novelty, looking for something I knew. In the end, I got what I wished for, just not the way I had planned. I listened to “This Must Be the Place” over and over that day, and each time David Byrne opened the second verse with those perfect lines, “Home/is where I want to be/but I guess I’m already there,” I knew what he was saying was true. And if I ever start a band, there’s no question which song I’ll choose for my first cover.

]]> a la “Artists Only”'s searing send-up of art-school snobbery or “(Nothing But) Flowers’” longing for chain stores after the world becomes overgrown with — you got it — flowers. “This Must Be the Place” is one of few love songs Byrne wrote with Talking Heads, and he included it in Speaking in Tongues, perhaps the most accessible album they recorded. But it was more than just the right song at the right time. There is something in Byrne’s impressionistic lyrics that touches people — especially, it seems, young people. “I’m just an animal looking for a home,” he sings, and who among us hasn’t felt that way in the post-graduate haze of our early twenties? Perhaps this is why, no matter how many covers of the song have surfaced over the years, each version seems to belong distinctly to its singer. Everyone who sings it sings from a personal place and means it in a way that only he can. Nearly 20 years after its original release, “This Must Be the Place” has become something greater than the sum of its parts, some pop culture version of a hymn or a cherished lullaby. It connects us not only to the beauty of the music itself, but also to all the people who have ever loved it or clung to it in a moment of joy or sadness. There are times while you are traveling alone when the gravity of utter lonliness becomes suddenly and shockingly real, and all you want is to go someplace that feels like home. Out of nowhere, the things that have been sustaining you — the kindness of strangers, the baguette you stowed in your purse to take comforting bites of when you start feeling uneasy, finding a shady patch of grass where you can snatch a few precious moments of sleep — cease to keep at bay the edge of fear that make solo voyaging feel urgent and infused with meaning. In these moments, you imagine a camera focused on you from above, lingering on your face for a few moments before zooming out at a frightening speed, up above the tall buildings, then the clouds and finally through the atmosphere and beyond until the Earth is just a tiny speck in the frame, and you just a tiny speck upon it. Before you know it, your day of sightseeing has been intruded upon by some hint of the infinite and the knowledge that you’re actually totally powerless in the face of it all, and, well, it’s pretty heavy. For me, this heady show-down with infinity started with a closed-down pizza shop. But first, there was Budapest. After a week of good home cooking and farting around in Budapest with a Belgian Erasmus student and an American friend of mine from a stint teaching English in Korea, I was riding high on the notion that we all might, in fact, be Nietzschean ubermencsh on the verge of ushering in a new paradigm of human existence. It sounds ridiculous now, but we had spent the week in such perfect harmony with each other, experiencing even the smallest pleasures as so outrageously decadent, that it was easy to imagine we had tapped into some vein of existential knowledge inaccessible to most of the rest of humanity. Emboldened by the certainty that nothing in my life could ever go wrong again, I took a detour to Rome, where I had studied abroad some years before. If I was embracing invincibility, I figured, I might as well take an extra 24 hours of train travel just to stop in the Eternal City for my favorite pizza and gelato. Both were heavenly, holy almost, stunning representations of what man could do if he dedicated his life to the pursuit of perfection in one tiny niche. It seems fitting, then, that the disappearance of this pizza from the world was enough to derail the hubris and relentless joy that had led me to Rome in search of thin-crust perfection. I arrived at 21 Via di San Francesco a Ripa, the home of Nick & Tony’s, on a clear and sunny afternoon, anticipating a day of gluttony. But Nick & Tony’s was gone, replaced by an upscale restaurant. And my flimsy excuse for this absurd indulgence of a trip was gone. Now I was here in the glaring sunlight, hungry, almost out of money and with no place to go. My old neighborhood, Trastevere, wasn’t full of the smiling, familiar faces that populated my daydreams on the train. It was just another strange place full of strange people, and I was just another white girl with a backpack, dodging aggressive drivers as they zoomed down the small alleys I was wandering. I had been thinking of Rome so fondly, all dripping heaps of gelato and accidental sightings of the Pope, but as I slumped there on the cobblestones where Nick & Tony’s used to be, other memories started bubbling up, memories that didn’t support my fantasy of being fabulously enlightened and able to transcend pain. There was the time a barefoot man stumbled down the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon and shoved his hand up my dress as I tried to squeeze past him; or the night some guy tried to mug my friends using a comically long needle as a weapon; the Spanish boy from school who’d taken me out on a date and spent the night scolding me for eating too much and commenting on my “beer belly”; or the time the controllari caught me on the bus with no ticket and demanded I fork over 50 Euros on the spot or face jail time. Or that Fat Tuesday we decided to venture away from the ex-pat bars and my purse was stolen, along with my iPod, a music fanatic’s worst nightmare in the days before widespread Internet access. I’d spent the next four months singing Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” to myself as I walked to and from school. That song had been with me every day of my old life in Rome, as constant as the club-footed beggar boy at Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere or the speakers that blared the Vatican’s church service in my neighborhood every Sunday. I sang that song to celebrate after I understood my first joke told in Italian. I’d hummed it in the kitchen the night our neighbors climbed up from their terrace and through the window of my flat to cook my roommates and I dinner. I started my walk to school from the Vatican each morning whistling the synth lines from the beginning, breaking into the first verse by the time I reached the Vittorio Emanuele II bridge and belting louder as I reached Trastevere’s sparsely populated streets. The man who guarded the door to my school once told me he always knew I was coming before he could see me, because he could hear me singing as I approached. That song was woven so deeply into the fabric of the five months I had lived in Rome, it had become a part of me and who I was there. Back on the cobblestones, slouched over and wondering what to do next, the disappointment of this leg of my journey became so real and stood in such stark contrast to the bliss of the preceding week, I suddenly wanted the whole backpacking trip to be over. Everything I knew was wrong, and I wasn’t an ubermencsh at all, and the world did not, in fact, shift according to my plans and desires. I really was just a speck on a speck in the vastness of the universe. Then, for some reason, “This Must Be the Place” faded in to my consciousness. A light went on. Maybe the place I had hoped to go and get a taste of my old life was gone, but one of the most fundamental touchstones of that life was right there in my bag. I fished my iPod from my purse, popped in my earbuds and cued up the song, and the city seemed to come into focus around me, same as it ever was. In a few notes, the feeling of being lost and alone in a strange place washed away, and Rome transformed back into a place I knew and remembered fondly. I hauled myself to my feet, shouldered the backpack and began walking nowhere in particular, keeping time to the music with my feet. Here was the familiar smell of orange peels ditched on the street. There, the buzz of a Vespa. From a window above, the sounds of that regular at the café, the one who never stops whistling. And here comes that handsome Brit from the gallery down the street, the one all the girls at school used to fawn over. A short walk away was Old Bridge Gelateria, my other reason for visiting, and I could call on my old fruit vendor on the way there. I could still have my gluttonous Roman afternoon, and I could finally soundtrack my walk along the Tiber not with my own whistling, sputtering version of the song, but with the lovely original rendition. Besides, there were plenty of other good pizzerias in Rome. I had come back to the Eternal City after weeks of travel and novelty, looking for something I knew. In the end, I got what I wished for, just not the way I had planned. I listened to “This Must Be the Place” over and over that day, and each time David Byrne opened the second verse with those perfect lines, “Home/is where I want to be/but I guess I’m already there,” I knew what he was saying was true. And if I ever start a band, there’s no question which song I’ll choose for my first cover. ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/05/no-destination-i-guess-that-this-must-be-the-place/feed/ 0 Audiography: Episode 020: “Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club (and formerly Talking Heads)” http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/audiography-episode-020-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-and-formerly-talking-heads/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/audiography-episode-020-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-and-formerly-talking-heads/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/12/radio-audiography-400.jpg Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:18 +0000 Len Comaratta http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=169602 In this edition of Audiography, we go backstage at the Seminole Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL with Consequence of Sound‘s Art Director Cap Blackard, who sat down with Chris Frantz of the Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads. Listen in as they discuss album artwork, Heads’ videos, and future Tom Tom Club releases, as well as Chris and wife, fellow Head and Clubber, Tina Weymouth’s latest project, Chris und Tina.

You can follow Frantz’ online radio program, airing once a month on WPKN.

Featured Music:
01. The Pinkertones – “Love Tape (Tom Tom Club remix)” – from Friends and Amigos
02. Tom Tom Club – “Wordy Rappinghood” – from Tom Tom Club
03. Tom Tom Club – “Femme Fatale” – from Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom
04. Talking Heads – “Road To Nowhere” – from Little Creatures
05. Senor Coconut y su Conjunto – “Autobahn (edit)” – from El Baile Alemán

Audiography Episode 019 – “Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club (and formerly Talking Heads)”
Written and Produced by Len Comaratta and Cap Blackard

[powerpress]

]]> Consequence of Sound's Art Director Cap Blackard, who sat down with Chris Frantz of the Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads. Listen in as they discuss album artwork, Heads' videos, and future Tom Tom Club releases, as well as Chris and wife, fellow Head and Clubber, Tina Weymouth's latest project, Chris und Tina. You can follow Frantz' online radio program, airing once a month on WPKN. Featured Music: 01. The Pinkertones - "Love Tape (Tom Tom Club remix)" - from Friends and Amigos 02. Tom Tom Club - "Wordy Rappinghood" - from Tom Tom Club 03. Tom Tom Club - "Femme Fatale" - from Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom 04. Talking Heads - "Road To Nowhere" - from Little Creatures 05. Senor Coconut y su Conjunto - "Autobahn (edit)" - from El Baile Alemán Audiography Episode 019 – "Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club (and formerly Talking Heads)" Written and Produced by Len Comaratta and Cap Blackard [powerpress]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/audiography-episode-020-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-and-formerly-talking-heads/feed/ 0 Consequence of Sound‘s 2011 Holiday Gift Guide http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/consequence-of-sounds-2011-holiday-gift-guide/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/consequence-of-sounds-2011-holiday-gift-guide/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/11/holiday-guide-11-thumb.jpg Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:00:23 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=169300 Regardless of your spiritual allegiance or thoughts regarding freezing temperatures, the winter/holiday season is an interesting one. There’s something about this period of the calendar year that just feels different from everything else. Summer has the vibe and energy of hot, sticky freedom; spring lives and breathes with the promise of a reawakening; and fall is all about getting in line and preparation. Winter, though, is slightly more splintered.

Some people see Christmas/Hanukkah/the Winter Solstice/Festivus as a time for family and friends and celebrating the inherent warmth and goodness in us all. Others view these as tired traditions, cooked up to fuel rampant consumerism and act as a means of torture by making you choose between frostbite and spending time with Uncle Maurice. And others just try to get by through the oceans of eggnog and terrible, terrible sweaters. But we here at CoS believe you don’t have to choose between being jolly and celebrating something earnest and true. While Santa Claus may be giving gifts of toys and goodies, we’re giving the gifts of hope and creativity with our annual Holiday Gift Guide. It’s way better than that fire truck you wanted for Xmas ’96.

Now you may be asking yourself, “How does just another list of items to buy offer up anything of any real value?” Well, children, come sit down by the fire as we weave our explanation like popcorn strings on a Christmas tree. It’s true that some of these music-related gifts are just fun or silly, like the Official DEVO Yellow Suit (page eight) or the Illustrated “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G. (page seven). But the rest of the gifts, ranging from the Dinosaur, Jr. Cassette Trilogy (page two) to the Z.vex Effects Instant guitar petal (page nine) all have slightly more value than being great gag gifts (or to wear as kickin’ costumes next Halloween). These may be material goods, and sometimes overpriced material goods at that, but don’t forget what you’re ACTUALLY giving: music. Not just sounds or noise that are either enjoyable or total rubbish, but something that can reshape emotions and create new, life-altering experiences for someone.

By giving something like The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition DVD, you’re telling someone you love, “Hey, this could change your life for the better and make you see things in a whole new way.” That is the promise of music, why people obsess over it and try to cram every sound and every tiny detail and unimportant contextual nuance into a $17 DVD or a $140 box set or a $12 CD. It’s one gift that can actually make someone’s life better and spread honest-to-goodness cheer in a time of year when people cram boxes with meaningless ties and perfume sets that dilute the reason for the season. Music is the one thing that transcends all the junk of the holiday season, like a red-nosed reindeer through a blizzard, to get at the heart of why we celebrate in the first place: connecting with people on a truly deep, meaningful level and cherishing those aforementioned bonds.

So whether you’re buying for yourself or a loved one, take a good, hard look through our Holiday Gift Guide and see if you can spread a little ho-ho-happiness. That way, you’re giving someone special something unique that they could never find elsewhere. And if they re-gift it to you next year, then that’s cool too, right?

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

P.S. – From ours to yours, have a safe and prosperous holiday season.

P.P.S. – Be sure to bookmark our guide and check back often as we’ll be posting new ideas throughout the holiday season.

Box Sets

The Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions Box Set

What: The long-awaited “lost” Beach Boys album receives the lush, deluxe treatment reserved for the finest audiophiles. Over five CDs, two LPs, and two 7″ singles, SMiLE finally comes to life, featuring myriad session recordings, alternate takes, early demos, and the proposed unfinished album. The story continues with the set’s 60-page companion book, stuffed to both ends with lyrics, Frank Holmes drawings, unreleased photos, production notes, anecdotes from surrounding family and friends, and, naturally, liner notes by the band. Throw in a 24″ x 36″ poster and put it all in a three-dimensional shadow box lid…and it’s difficult to avoid smiling. -MR

Buy: Available now for $139.99 via Amazon.com.

Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 Deluxe Edition

What: The legendary hip-hop trio repackages their 2011 album in a two-disc, deluxe edition set. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, the set includes the long and short versions of the star-studded Fight For Your Right Revisited film, the Spike Jonze-directed music video “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win”, and a 130-page hardback book featuring behind-the-scenes photos of the making of Fight For Your Right Revisited. Order through the group’s website and also receive a Stuyvesant Phys. Ed T-Shirt. -AY

Buy: Available November 25th exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday promotion. A limited number of sets is also available for $88.98 via the group’s website.

The Dear Hunter: The Color Spectrum: The Complete Collection

What: The 36-tracks constituting the tremendous 9-EP undertaking The Color Spectrum from Casey Crescenzo’s band The Dear Hunter are collected here on three CDs. Also included is a DVD containing more than two hours of footage from Crescenzo’s country-spanning journey recording the effort with a variety of producers and fellow musicians. The final piece is a 52-page booklet of pictures, lyrics and insight about the collection. -BK

Buy: Available now digitally ($34.99) and on CD($24.69) via Amazon.com. Both the limited edition collection of nine colored vinyls and the deluxe wood box set have sold out, so good luck with that.

 

Dinosaur, Jr.: Cassette Trilogy

What: Limited to just 500 copies and encased in a custom wooden box, the set packs cassette copies of Dinosaur Jr.’s first three albums — 1985′s Dinosaur, 1987′s You’re Living All Over Me, and 1988′s Bug. In addition, the wooden box features the classic Dinosaur Jr. ‘monster’ artwork. -AY

Buy: Available now for $39 via Joyful Noise Recordings. Note: only 350 copies are available for purchase online, with the remaining 150 copies to be sold on the band’s December West coast tour.

The Doors: LA. Woman Singles Box

What: Billed as a “one-of-a-kind limited, serial-numbered box set” commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Doors’ landmark album, L.A. Woman Singles Box packs classic tracks “The Changeling”, “Riders on the Storm”, and “Love Her Madly”, backed with newly-discovered and never-before-heard alternate takes of each song, and a fourth single of never before-released studio banter. The box artwork also includes the original Messianic image of the naked woman nailed to the telephone pole used for the album’s inner sleeve. -AY

Buy: Available November 25th for $49.98 exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday promotion.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!

What: Limited to just 1,500 copies, the set features a CD, DVD, and 10-inch vinyl EP of material from Elvis Costello’s two-night stint at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on May 11th and 12th, 2011. The CD comprises 16 tracks from both nights, the 10″ features four live cuts, and the DVD packs footage of the entire second night, including a special appearance from The Bangles. In addition to the music, the box set contains a 40-page hardcover book of photos, a diary from Costello detailing each gig, a 20″ x 30″ concert tour poster, a limited edition postcard, and a replica spinning wheel to play with at your discretion. -CC

Buy: Available December 6th for $268.29 via Amazon.com.

John Fahey: Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You

What: Like John Fahey?  Want to hear some of his earliest recordings, taped in a dingy basement in Frederick, MD?  Want to listen to hella-old reel-to-reel tapes of him drunkenly answering questions about his music and career interspersed between some insanely beautiful acoustic guitar playing? Well then, what better way to ring in the holiday spirit than six hours over 115 unearthed, remastered tracks of early John Fahey recordings over 5 discs, an 88-page book chronicling the legendary picker’s life, rare photographs of the guy, and some ill packaging?  Not much, not much. -DL

Buy: Available now for $69.56 via Amazon.com.

Leonard Cohen: The Complete Albums Collection 

What: The 18-disc box set compiles Leonard Cohen’s 17 studio and live albums, from his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen up to 2009?s live release Songs From the Road. Each CD in the set is remastered from original analogue master tapes and housed in a mini-LP replica jacket based on their original artwork. In addition, the package includes a 36-page booklet full of “discographical annotations and recording information, as well as a 1,300-word essay by Pico Iyer. -AY

Buy: Available now for $119.99 via Leonard Cohen Global Store. An 11-disc set compiling only his studio albums is also available for purchase.

Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy

What: Mickey Newbury may just be one of country music most criminally-underheard artists. More closely related to artists like Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt than Conway Twitty, Newbury’s soft songs are full of weighted emotion and beautiful lyrical imagery. A perfect introduction to a hidden gem, An American Trilogy box set collects arguably his three greatest albums from the late 1960s/early ’70s (It Looks Like Rain, ‘Frisco Mabel Joy, and Heaven Help the Child) as well as a fourth disc of rare demos and outtakes. -AT

Buy: Available now for $71.97 via Amazon.com. Vinyl editions of each disc are also available separately via Drag City’s online store.

Neutral Milk Hotel Vinyl Box Set

What: The vinyl-only box set comprises every single one of Neutral Milk Hotel’s albums and EPs along with some 15 unreleased tracks. Among the items included are the band’s two LPs (1996′s On Avery Island and 1998′s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea), a 7″ single of two never-before-released songs in “You’ve Passed” (b/w “Where You’ll Find Me Now”), another 7″ single of unreleased and live versions of “Little Birds”, a picture disk 7″ single of “Holland, 1945″, and a 10″ EP called Ferris Wheel on Fire featuring eight unreleased acoustic recordings. -CC

Buy: Available November 22nd for $88 via the band’s official website. All of the included tracks will also be available at a pay-as-you-please price via his Bandcamp account.

Pink Floyd Discovery Box Set

What: Fourteen albums. Sixteen CDs. One 60-page artwork booklet. From 1967′s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn up to 1994′s The Division Bell, this set collects it all, making it an absolute gem for any Pink Floyd fan, both new or old. So, if you’ve got a loved one begging to go on a trip, consider this your cheapest (and most worthwhile) option. See you on the other side. -MR

Buy: Available now for $178.99 via Amazon.com.

Phish: Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97

What: The long-awaited sound recordings of Phish’s first two-night stint at Hampton, VA’s Hampton Coliseum (aka the “Mothership”) from November 21st and 22nd of 1997, accompanied by the live recording of the band’s follow-up performance at Lawrence Joel Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC, on November 23rd. Re-mastered by Fred Kevorkian, the seven-CD box set contains all the music performed over those three nights (45 songs, over eight hours across seven discs), plus never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues. -DS

Buy: Available December 6th in various formats: 7-CD box set ($39.99), ALAC ($34.97), FLAC (34.97), and MP3 (26.87) via LivePhish.com.

Ray Charles: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles

What: Containing the A and B-sides of 53 singles (that’s 106 songs) on five CDs, Ray Charles’ Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singlesis exactly what it says it is. The box set holds every single Charles released while signed to ABC-Paramount Records between 1960 and 1972, a peak era for a musician who had finally found “mainstream” success. Out of the 106 digitally remastered tracks included, 21 will be having their first ever digital release, while 30 are debuting on CD. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD and digitally for $42.98 via Amazon.com.

Rivers Cuomo: The Pinkerton Diaries + Alone III

What: In 237 pages, The Pinkerton Diaries gives unparalleled insight into Rivers Cuomo’s mind from 1994 to 1997, the period in which Weezer’s landmark album Pinkerton was formed. Beginning on the day of The Blue Album’s May 10th ’94 release, the book collects Cuomo’s “journals emails, letters, photos and school papers” alongside “lyric notebooks, music compositions, and studio notes from the Pinkerton sessions.” First editions are hand numbered. The companion album, Alone III, contains 26 demos of both released and unrealized tracks, all recorded during the years recounted in the book. -BK

Buy: Set for a December 12th release, pre-orders are ongoing Cuomo’s website: book and CD for $75, and a premium pack with t-shirt, lithograph, and post-card set for $135.99.

Rush: Sectors

What: Compiling Rush’s 15-album, 14-year run on Mercury Records, the three separate six-disc box sets each include five chronological CDs and a 5.1 surround sound DVD. Sector 1 comprises the band’s 1974 self-titled debut and ends with their first live album, 1976′s All the World’s a Stage. Sector 2 features 1981′s Moving Pictures and 1977′s A Farewell to Kings, which also gets the DVD treatment. Sector 3 starts with 1982′s Signals and concludes with 1988′s double live album, A Show of Hands. Each Sector comes with a booklet of photos and lyrics, with all three boxes forming a Rush CD road case. –CC

Buy: Available November 21st, Sector 1, Sector 2, and Sector 3 each cost $48.46 via Amazon.com.

Sigur Rós: Inni

What: Directed by Vincent Morisset, Inni compiles footage of Sigur Rós’ 2008 performance at London’s Alexandra Palace, their final show before embarking on an indefinite hiatus. A limited deluxe edition set includes the film and a corresponding live album, a 7″ single featuring a previously unreleased cut called “Lúppulagid”, an exclusive and unique-to-each-box artefact from the show itself in a numbered, printed envelope a DVD of the 5-minute short “Klippa”, and more, all of which are packaged in a printed 7″ sized 4 panel slitpack. -AY

Buy: Available now for $79 via the band’s website. A standard edition, comprising just the film and the album, as well as a digital edition are also available.

 The Smiths Complete: Deluxe Box Set

What: In an effort to bankrupt every fan of The Smiths, Rhino Records UK has put together the ultimate box set for completists, vinyl enthusiasts, and, well, any self-respecting music fan. Titled The Smiths – Complete, the forthcoming package features remastered editions of The Smiths’ eight albums (by Johnny Marr, no less), both on CD and 180-gram audiophile vinyl, in addition to all 25 of the group’s singles on individual 7?. They also decided to throw in some prints, a few posters, and a DVD of the group’s music videos. Just remember, we’ve got a very long winter ahead of us. Best to plan accordingly. -MR

Buy: Available now for $499.98 via Rhino Records. CD or vinyl-only box sets are also available.

Sting: 25 Years

What: The four-disc set comprises 45 remastered tracks that were “personally curated by Sting”, in addition to Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live At Irving Plaza, a previously unreleased live concert DVD. It’s all housed in a hardcover book containing intimate and rare photos from world renowned photographers, complete lyrics, personal commentary and a newly written introduction by Sting. -MR

Buy: Available now as a 3 CD/DVD set for $119.99 via Amazon.com.

U2: Achtung Baby: Uber Deluxe Edition

Buy: A box set which truly lives up to its name, the Uber Deluxe Edition of U2′s landmark album Achtung Baby packs six CDs, including the original album, the follow-up Zooropa, B-sides, and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Also squeezed in are four DVDs featuring the new Achtung Baby-focused documentary From The Sky Down, the concert film Zoo TV:Live From Sydney, and all the videos from Achtung Baby, in addition to bonus material. And if that weren’t enough, the set also includes the album’s five singles pressed on clear 7″ vinyl and packaged in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propagandamagazine, four badges, a sticker sheet, and, yes, a pair of Bono’s trademark glasses, with all of the above comes contained in magnetic puzzle tiled box. -AY

What: Available now for $434.99 via Amazon.com. A Super Deluxe Edition, a Deluxe Edition, a vinyl-only box set, and a standard CD release are also available.

The Who: Quadrophenia – The Director’s Cut

What: Spanning five discs and 60 tracks, the Quadrophenia box set includes a re-master of the original double album, 25 demos from Pete Townshend’s archives, including five songs not on the album that portray the original version of the Quadrophenia concept, an eight-track DVD titled The Quadrophenia 5.1, and a replica 7″ of the hit single “5.15″ (b/w “Water”). In addition to the music, the set also includes a 100-page hard-back book featuring a 13,000-word essay by Townshend that sheds light on the band during the album’s recording, as well as a track-by-track guide to the demos and studio diary entries. -CC

Buy: Available now for $143.99 via Amazon.com. Double vinyl and digital editions are also available.

Books

Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Music Made New in New York City in the ’70s

What: Do you ever wish you could have experienced New York City in the ’70s? Maybe witness the birth of punk rock, loathe the spawn of disco, and get lost in all the in-betweens? Rolling Stone‘s senior critic Will Hermes takes you there; more specifically, from New Year’s Day 1973 to New Year’s Eve of 1977. It’s a first person account of one of the most culturally rich movements in music history, and it’s all for your leisurely reading. Better yet, you don’t need a Delorean to experience it. -MR

Buy: Available now for $18.81 via Amazon.com.

Moby: Destroyed

What: If you’re a popular DJ, you’re wanted. Everywhere. For nearly 30 years, Moby has hit the live circuit, traversing far and away to share his ambiant electronica. For his latest album, Destroyed, the vegan multi-instrumentalist put together an accompanying book of photography of the same name. With shots everywhere from Berlin to Sumatra to Minnesota to Budapest, Moby shares his sights, all to the soundtrack of his own latest sounds, which come packaged with the book. Who says you need Sky Miles these days? -MR

Buy: Available now for $26.37 via Amazon.com.

Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty

What: Remember the whole books on tape craze? Well, this is sort of the reverse of that. Help a loved one celebrate 20 years of grunge’s most enduring rockers with 384 pages (and 3.5 pounds) of exclusive photos, behind-the-scenes tales, interviews (with the band and their contemporaries), and assorted goodies (playlists, tour notes, and drawings). Besides, does he really need another flannel shirt?  -MM

Buy: Available now for $23.67 via Amazon.com.

Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism

What: Writer Chuck Eddy collects various essays, reviews, and interviews in this anthology that spans over 30 years. As a writer for Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Creem, Spin, and Vibe, Eddy has interviewed everyone from the Beastie Boys to Robert Plant, Flaming Lips to Eminem’s grandmother. Widely considered one of the first critics of indie rock, Eddy’s collection of writing should easily find its way next to your Chuck Klosterman books. Hey, what do you know, good ol’ Chuck writes the foreword here, too. Consider that a more prominent endorsement than what we could ever make. -MR

Buy: Available now for $16.47 via Amazon.com.

Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction To Its Own Past

What: Sick of throwbacks? Sick of obscure 80′s references? Feel like retro-chic has transformed into retro-shit? Early on in Retromania, Simon Reynolds asks, ”Could it be that the greatest danger to the future of our music culture is … its past?” If you need a bead on how we digest pop-culture and pop-culture may be heading, this is the book. Required reading for tavern philosophers and micro-genre nerds. -JL

Buy: Available now for $12.24 via Amazon.

Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by the Songs of The Smiths

What: Who says all heroes have to wear tights? What about a sick hairdo and some pinstripes for the head? That’s all Morrissey works with – well, that and a seemingly endless supply of lyrical poetry. Using Kickstarter for funding, SpazDog Press publisher Shawn Demumbrum worked alongside some of his favorite comic book artists to bring a series of Smiths-influenced stories to paper. The end result is a 172-page graphic novel that spans 13 different stories, all of which stemmed from songs like “How Soon Is Now?”,”Cemetery Gates”, “Handsome Devil”, and more. Think of it this way: Wouldn’t Moz look pretty sweet sharing shelf space with The Long Halloween? The answer is a resounding yes. -MR

Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Corner Store Comics. Only 300 copies. Act fast.

Films

Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

What: A 90-minute concert film and corresponding live album of Adele’s September 2011 performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The tracklist includes smash hits “Rolling in the Deep,” “Turning Tables,” and “Someone Like You” alongside covers of Bonnie Riatt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been for Love”. In addition, the film packs previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. -CC

Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($13.99) and Blu-ray/CD ($21.99) via Amazon.com.

The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition

What: The three-disc set digs deep into Neil and Peggi Young’s annual charity concert, with appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, Band of Horses, Thom Yorke, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and many, many more musical elite. All profits from the release will go directly to The Bridge School. -CC

Buy: Available now on DVD ($19.99) via Amazon.com. A corresponding live album is also available.

Foo Fighters: Back and Forth

What: In April 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide, shocking the world and putting an end to one of the most vibrant acts in rock ‘n’ roll history. Out of its ashes, however, came an unlikely story: a raucous and catchy debut from the band’s shy drummer. Since the mid-’90s, Dave Grohl has been the amicable spokesman of the Foo Fighters, complete with his trademark grin. But, it hasn’t always been laughs and parties. In the group’s 16-year-long existence, the band has seen its share of turmoil, despite the goofy videos and no frills rock ‘n’ roll. Director James Moll’s 135 minute documentary, Back and Forth, captures this story with full details, interviewing not only its current members, but those of yesteryear. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll rock out. -MR

Buy: Available now on DVD ($16.99) and Blu-Ray ($20.99) via Amazon.com.

Kylie Minogue: Aphrodite Les Folies – Live in London


What: This holiday season, Kylie Minogue’s most extravagant (and successful) tour to date jumps off the stage and onto your HD television with Aphrodite Les Folies: Live in London, a two-hour concert CD/DVD recorded this past April at London’s O2 Arena. Directed by William Baker and Marcus Viner, the performance includes plenty of hits from Minogue’s back catalog, in addition to recent radio stompers off last year’s LP, Aphrodite. In addition to the concert film itself, the DVD and Blu-ray releases also feature an exclusive tour documentary. -MR

Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($20.25) and Blu-Ray ($29.49) via Amazon.com.

Peter Gabriel: New Blood: Live in London

What: New Blood: Live in London features concert footage filmed over two days at The Hammersmith Apollo during Peter Gabriel’s tour last spring. The setlist consists of 22 classics (“Wallflower”, “In Your Eyes”) and covers (Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble”, Regina Spektor’s “Après Moi”) backed by the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra. The film is offered on Blu-ray, DVD, and a 3D Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. A deluxe edition includes the DVD, regular Blu-ray, the New Blood double CD, plus the bonus Blood Donors documentary with an interview from Gabriel, all housed in 60-page hardcover photobook of over 200 pictures. -BK

Buy: Available now on DVD ($11.99), Blu-ray ($13.99), 3D combo pack ($24.99), and as deluxe edition ($89.99) via Amazon.com.

Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty

What: Cameron Crowe’s fascinating and intimate documentary on Pearl Jam’s 20 year-long history is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Chiseled down from over 1,200 hours of footage, some of which dates back to before the band’s inception, Pearl Jam Twenty offers an in-depth look into the legendary Seattle collective history, following the group through its many trials and tribulations. The standard release sports over 26 minutes of never-before-seen footage, while the deluxe release – available only via Ten Club (and currently sold out) – comes packaged as a three-disc set, featuring Crowe’s original cut of the documentary (The Kids Are Twenty) and an 80-minute fan film (The Fans Are Alright). Good luck. -MR

Buy: Available now on DVD ($17.99) and on January 3rd for Blu-Ray ($14.99) via Amazon.com. The deluxe edition, while sold out over at Pearl Jam’s Ten Club, is available for a range of prices ($150-250) via Ebay.com.

Radiohead: The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement


What: Originally released as a 55-minute television broadcast in Summer 2011, The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement sees Radiohead performing eight track from The King of Limbs in addition to three previously unreleased cuts (“Staircase”, “The Daily Mail”, and “Supercollider”). The DVD’s physical release also includes a 32-page book, featuring photographs by Steve Keros. -AY

Buy: Available in early 2012 on DVD (£ 16.00) and Blu-ray (£ 26.00) via the band’s website. Both editions include a digital download available beginning December 19th.

Talking Heads: Chronology [Deluxe Edition]

What: Follow David Byrne and Talking Heads from CBGB to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with this career-spanning collection of 18 live performances. Extras include audio commentary by all four band members, the band’s 1979 appearance on The South Bank Show, and a 1978 interview with Byrne. The deluxe edition is packaged in a hardback cover and includes a 48-page photo and essay book. -MM

Buy: Available now on DVD ($22.49) via Amazon.com.

Tickets

Jeff Mangum

What: Reclusive no more, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum will follow up an acclaimed fall tour with another leg of U.S. tour dates starting January 18th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Neutral Milk Hotel’s website and Seat Geek.

Primavera Sound

What: Considered one of Europe’s premiere alternative music festival, Bareclona’s Primavera Sound returns in 2012 with a lineup led by Jeff Mangum, Björk, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, and many more. -AY

Buy: Festival tickets are now available for 160 € (+ booking fee) via the festival’s website.

Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

What: Their first tour in three years, Radiohead will hit the road in support of The King of Limbs beginning February 27th. Speaking recently with the BBC, guitarist Ed O’Brien admitted that the band has intentionally chosen to play indoor venues in order to maintain the intimacy of their latest album. “The record, which has a lot of detail in it, it needs to sonically be in a space where the music is loud, strong, and detailed.” O’Brien also added that the tour’s setlist will be comprised mostly of material from The King of Limbs and their 2008 album In Rainbows. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Radiohead’s website and Seat Geek.

Rammstein

What: It might not sound like your standard holiday gift, but Rammstein’s live performance is something of legend — X-Rated legend. Prepare yourself for German heavy metal, insane pyrotechnics, and a giant male, uh, apparatus spraying, uh — well, you get it. The month-long trek kicks off April 20th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Rammstein’s website and Seat Geek.

Roger Waters: The Wall

What: Already one of the highest grossing tours in history, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters will bring The Wall back to North America beginning May 1st. The production for the trek will feature a 40-foot-wide by 35-foot wall between the audience and the stage itself that is slowly knocked down as the concert progresses. Musically, Waters will be accompanied by an eight-piece band and three backing vocalists. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Waters’ website and Seat Geek.

South by Southwest

What: Though one of the more pricier tickets you’ll ever buy, a badge to South by Southwest earns access to over a thousand bands, films, and panels. Last year’s edition featured performers ranging from Foo Fighters, Kanye West, and Queens of the Stone Age to Odd Future, Wild Flag, and Shabazz Palaces. -AY

Buy: Multiple types of badges are now available via the festival’s website.

Weezer Cruise

What: It’s a 4-day music festival (January 19-23) on a cruise trip from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, headlined and curated by Weezer. If that alone doesn’t make it a “best gift” guarantee, performances from Dinosaur Jr., Gene Ween and Dave Dreiwitz, Wavves, Yuck, The Antlers and more certainly make it a contender. Add in special events and activities hosted by the individual members of Weezer and many of the other acts, and you’ve got yourself a winner. -BK

Buy: Tickets and accommodations range from $599 to $2,499 (plus $179 in taxes and fees), depending on room selection and number of people. Special 4 and 5-pack deals are available on select decks for $499 a head.

Wild Flag

What: Wild Flag — the all-female, indie-rock supergroup comprised of former Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, ex-Helium frontgirl Mary Timony, and former Minders keyboardist Rebecca Cole — returns to the road beginning March 30th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Merge Record’s website and Seat Geek.

Holiday Music

Gruff Rhys: Atheist Xmas EP

What: Christmastime is when we’re all supposed to feel the warmth of hope and goodness swell inside our hearts. However, Super Furry Animals frontman/solo act extraordinaire Gruff Rhys had a different sentiment in mind with his EP Atheist Xmas. The collection is described as “an unholy trinity of three turkey-free new tracks for the festive season”, with the track “Post Apocalypse Christmas” seeing Rhys re-imagine Christmas “through the semi-melted eyes of a nuclear holocaust survivor”. It truly is the most wonderful time of year, isn’t it? -CC

Buy: Available on December 20th as a digital download via Amazon.com. A 12″ single version is also available through Rhys’ website.

John Zorn: A Dreamer’s Christmas

What: With seven classic tracks and two originals, avant-garde jazz musician John Zorn puts his unique touch on the Christmas soundtrack with A Dreamers Christmas. Eccentric as always, the MacArthur Genius joined with a variety of his frequent collaborators to jazz-up “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, “Winter Wonderland”, and others. Faith No More singer Mike Patton even lends his voice to a captivating rendition of “The Christmas Song”. This is not your grandpa’s holiday record. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD ($13.11) and vinyl ($35.80) via Amazon.com.

 

She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas

What: The 12-track compilation sees Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward taking on seminal holiday classics like “Blue Christmas”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. Select packages also include exclusive She & Him mittens and winter cap, and are wrapped in She & Him wrapping papper. A portion of the proceeds benefit 826 National. -AY

Buy: Available now on CD and vinyl in various packages via the band’s website. A digital version is also available.

Scott Weiland: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What: On The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the Stone Temple Pilots frontman cuts deep and finds his inner Sinatra, bringing us snow and eggnog, while snapping out oldies like “Silent Night” or “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. -MR

Buy: Available now on CD ($9.99) via Amazon.com. A digital version is also available.

This Warm December – A Brushfire Holiday, Volume 2 

What: This Warm December – A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 features 13 tracks from artists on and friends of Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. It includes originals (Jack Johnson’s “In The Morning”, G. Love’s “Christmas Cookies”) as well as renditions of a few classics (“Jingle Bell Rock” from Rogue Wave, Zee Avi’s “Frosty the Snowman”). 25% of profits go to charities focused on youth musical education, including Little Kids Rock and The Silverlake Conservatory. It’s like two gifts in one. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD ($11.99) via Amazon.com. A vinyl edition is also available via the label’s website.

Custom Crafts & Art

Band T-Shirts from Lost Records

What: Not just any band t-shirts, but Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Albert Ayler Trio, Sun Ra, The Sonics, 13th Floor Elevators, Gun Club, The Mummies, The Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Tommy Boy Records, 4AD Records, et effing cetera. Next best thing to seeing Television at CBGB’s is getting a shirt that looked like you saw them there. -JL

Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Lost Records Etsy Store

Rap/R&B Votive Candles

What: If your God is Based, you best have a candle for him, and you should always keep Aaliya in your memories. Plus, I can’t think of anything better than a votive candle that says  “I Think I’m Big Meech” with Rick Ross on it. Other options for hip hop devotions include R. Kelly, Nicki Minaj, Ghostface Killah, and Left Eye (not pictured). -JL

Buy: Available now, $9 for one, or $15 for two plus shipping and handling via Moneyworth’s Etsy Store.

The Illustrated “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G.

What: Ok, so while on Moneyworth’s Etsy page, I came across this, which is a hand-drawn picture book of the song “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. And the cover, that’s a color Coogi-print. For real. -JL

Buy: Available now for $13 at Moneyworth’s Etsy Store.

Ridiculous/Fun

The Flaming Lips: Silver Trembling Fetus Ornament

What: Back again for a third year, The Flaming Lips present the ornament any fan knows they want hanging from their tree. Measuring just about 3-inches tall, this silver pewter fetus comes in a custom box, making it the perfect stocking stuffer. Unless the person has some uncomfortable feelings about fetuses, especially those stuffed into stockings. . . -BK

Buy: These quirky little fellas are available through the FLips website for $30.

Mastodon: The Hunter Mask

What: Take care of next year’s Halloween costume 11 months early with The Hunter Mask. Inspired by the cover of Mastodon’s recent LP of the same name, these 100% custom makes are made from a thick plastic and were assembled locally in the Los Angeles area by a special effects company. According to the band, they’re also “very comfortable.”  -AY

Buy: Available now for $39.99 via the band’s website.

My Keepon – Interactive Robot

What: Need a pal to keep you company while you dance alone? Look no further than My Keepon. Developed by Wow! Stuff and Beatbots, My Keepon is a cute, yellow dancing fiend, who grooves to any sort of tune – especially Spoon. You’ll never get the same performance twice. Some may argue science could be better utilized today, but whatever. The scientists definitely got this one right. -MR

Buy: Available now for $55.95 via Amazon.com.

My Chemical Romance: Danger Days Jackets

What: On their most recent record, Danger Days, My Chemical Romance takes on the persona of their alter-egos, the Fabulous Killjoys. Now you too can dress like Jet Star (guitarist Ray Toro), Fun Ghoul (guitarist Frank Iero), Kobra Kid (bassist Mikey Way), or Party Poison (frontman/singer Gerard Way) with these replica jackets. Each jacket is based on designs seen in the videos for “Sing” and “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”. -BK

Buy: The Party Poison jackets are currently sold out, but the others are all available on My Chemical Romance’s website for $89.99 to $99.99.

 

The Official DEVO Yellow Suit

What: “Protect yourself from dangerous human elements and stay cool during meltdowns in this official DEVO Yellow Suit.” An exact replica of the suits worn onstage by DEVO, right down to the material quality. Comes in two pieces, jacket and pants, plus an adjustable elastic belt. Please note, it most likely won’t protect you from a real nuclear emergency, but you should be safe if there’s a meltdown at your next costume party. -BK

Buy: Available online at the Club DEVO store for $49.99 (XL and Jumbo sizes only). For $32.00, finish off the ensemble with an Energy Dome hat (currently only available in blue).

“Stairway to Heaven” Ladder

What: Salvation is made simple this holiday season thanks to award-winning designer Arthur Analts’ literal take on Led Zeppelin’s most famous song. The limited edition (only 99 made), aluminum “Led Zeppelin” ladder is intended for both practical and decorative use, and various colors and customized engraving options are available. This gift is perfect for reaching paradise or even for just getting those bedroom linens off the top closet shelf. -MM

Buy: Inquire at Analts’ website.

Young Money Prepaid Discover Card

What: Consider yourself a Young Money/Cash Money Billionaire? Tired of lugging around those one hundred bills in your back pocket? Then consider the latest venture from Lil Wayne. The Young Money pre-paid debit card is essentially your standard card, with direct deposit and online billing options. However,  unlike those emblazoned with company logos or fanciful unicorns, you can rep YMCMB in style with its massive branding on top of a sleek red background. It may be the fiscally responsible move, but it will also complicate things the next time you make it rain. -CC

Buy: Apply for your very own card here.

Practical

Gift Certificates

C’mon. Who doesn’t love getting these? Sure, it’s essentially saying, “Yeah, I didn’t really care to listen to you all year, but I know you dig this. So have fun,” but if you write a convincing and loving card to go with it, it’s not so bad. Plus, deep down inside, we’re screaming, “Thank god it wasn’t an IOU for a meal or dinner.” (Don’t you just love being an isolated cynic?) So, if you’re drawing a blank this season, but know you’re friend digs music. You might want to pick up a gift certificate for: InSound, iTunes, or a local record store like Chicago’s Reckless Records, for instance. It may be a piece of plastic to you, but it’s a cherished vinyl, CD, or experience for someone else. -MR

Guitar Pedals

Know a pedalhead who’s getting bored with the vanilla variety of fuzzes, compressors a wahs that are clogging space on their board? Do they like their tones a li’l bit freaky, or even balls-to-the-wall weird? Luckily for these jaded guitarists, several new stompboxes have hit the market that are doing some pretty cool stuff in relatively new ways. Below you’ll find a few suggestions for the perfect effects pedals to brighten their holiday season.

Ravish Star

What: Is your band looking to add a distinctive Eastern flavor to their songs, but have no room in the station wagon for an additional large, unwieldy instrument? Electro-Harmonix’s new Ravish Sitar pedal does an admirable job of transforming your guitar tone into a convincing sitar sound. If your interests extend beyond just a more accurate cover version of “Norwegian Wood”, the wide range of knobs, inputs and presets loaded into this pedal offer up lots of interesting drone possibilities. -AT

Buy: Available now for $239.25 at GuitarCenter.com, or demo the pedal at your local Electro-Harmonix dealer.

Z.vex Effects Instant

What: Ever want to capture the supercharming, lo-fi tone of bands like Guided By Voices, Sebadoh or Ariel Pink, but have been stumped because the quality of your gear is just too damn high? Well, fear no more – Z.Vex Effects has got you covered with their Instant Lo-Fi Junky. Combining a compressor and vibrato, you can kick on the pedal to provide awashed-out, warped cassette tape sound in real time. It’s just what you need to surf the chillwave craze before it crashes into the shore! -AT

Buy: Available now for $219 via Amazon.com, or try the unit out for yourself at your local Z.Vex dealer.

Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas

What: For the noise freaks who prefer their shit to be just plain crazy, the always-intriguing Dwarfcraft is introducing the Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas pedal (shortened from its incredibly-badass palindrome form simply to SOMMS). This one pedal features four different oscillators: one pulses, one drones, and two more are controlled by a joystick, so you can mix your crazy synth soundcrafting with the simple pleasures of playing an Atari 2600. Don’t even play guitar, but want to get in on the noisy action? The SOMMS features input/output jacks so it can be fed through a pedalboard, but can also be played as an independent instrument. -AT

Buy: The SOMMS will begin shipping this month and will sell for $275. Please inquire with your local Dwarfcraft dealer.

Rocksmith

What: Rhythm music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are great and all, but they mostly boil down to so much bashing of colored buttons. Rocksmith takes the next step, dumps the peripherals and lets players plug in a real guitar, allowing them to actually learn how to play the instrument while they enjoy the game. An included 6.35mm-to-USB cable enables you to plug right in and jam to songs from The Black Keys, David Bowie, The Dead Weather, Muse, and tons more, with downloadable content increasingly added.-BK

Buy: The game is available for $77.99 on Xbox 360 and PS3, with the PC version going for $79.96, all from Amazon. A bundle including a starter guitar is available, if you’re willing to search for it.

Sennheiser HD595 Dynamic High Grade Performance Premiere Headphones

What: The Maybach of headphones – nonpareil. Its double-take price tag makese these hard to stomach for a personal purchase, but make an amazing gift for a lifetime. Plug it in to your receiver and put on The Band or The Bends and hear the fidelity blow your mind. -JL

Buy: Available now for $249.09 via Amazon.

Spotify Premium Membership

What: If you walk by someone’s desk at work and wonder what’s up with their Spotify and why its covered in ads, it’s cause they probably forgot they can turn them off and get increased sound quality when they buy the premium membership. And, when you buy the $9.99 a month option, you get all of Spotify’s bounty on your iPhone or Android. -JL

Buy: Well, they don’t have gift cards available in America yet, so just tell your giftee to scoot over and you’ll put it on your card (via Spotify).

]]> CoS believe you don't have to choose between being jolly and celebrating something earnest and true. While Santa Claus may be giving gifts of toys and goodies, we're giving the gifts of hope and creativity with our annual Holiday Gift Guide. It's way better than that fire truck you wanted for Xmas '96. Now you may be asking yourself, "How does just another list of items to buy offer up anything of any real value?" Well, children, come sit down by the fire as we weave our explanation like popcorn strings on a Christmas tree. It's true that some of these music-related gifts are just fun or silly, like the Official DEVO Yellow Suit (page eight) or the Illustrated “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G. (page seven). But the rest of the gifts, ranging from the Dinosaur, Jr. Cassette Trilogy (page two) to the Z.vex Effects Instant guitar petal (page nine) all have slightly more value than being great gag gifts (or to wear as kickin' costumes next Halloween). These may be material goods, and sometimes overpriced material goods at that, but don't forget what you're ACTUALLY giving: music. Not just sounds or noise that are either enjoyable or total rubbish, but something that can reshape emotions and create new, life-altering experiences for someone. By giving something like The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition DVD, you're telling someone you love, "Hey, this could change your life for the better and make you see things in a whole new way." That is the promise of music, why people obsess over it and try to cram every sound and every tiny detail and unimportant contextual nuance into a $17 DVD or a $140 box set or a $12 CD. It's one gift that can actually make someone's life better and spread honest-to-goodness cheer in a time of year when people cram boxes with meaningless ties and perfume sets that dilute the reason for the season. Music is the one thing that transcends all the junk of the holiday season, like a red-nosed reindeer through a blizzard, to get at the heart of why we celebrate in the first place: connecting with people on a truly deep, meaningful level and cherishing those aforementioned bonds. So whether you're buying for yourself or a loved one, take a good, hard look through our Holiday Gift Guide and see if you can spread a little ho-ho-happiness. That way, you're giving someone special something unique that they could never find elsewhere. And if they re-gift it to you next year, then that's cool too, right? -Chris Coplan News Editor P.S. - From ours to yours, have a safe and prosperous holiday season. P.P.S. - Be sure to bookmark our guide and check back often as we'll be posting new ideas throughout the holiday season. Box Sets The Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions Box Set What: The long-awaited "lost" Beach Boys album receives the lush, deluxe treatment reserved for the finest audiophiles. Over five CDs, two LPs, and two 7" singles, SMiLE finally comes to life, featuring myriad session recordings, alternate takes, early demos, and the proposed unfinished album. The story continues with the set's 60-page companion book, stuffed to both ends with lyrics, Frank Holmes drawings, unreleased photos, production notes, anecdotes from surrounding family and friends, and, naturally, liner notes by the band. Throw in a 24" x 36" poster and put it all in a three-dimensional shadow box lid...and it's difficult to avoid smiling. -MR Buy: Available now for $139.99 via Amazon.com. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 Deluxe Edition What: The legendary hip-hop trio repackages their 2011 album in a two-disc, deluxe edition set. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, the set includes the long and short versions of the star-studded Fight For Your Right Revisited film, the Spike Jonze-directed music video "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win", and a 130-page hardback book featuring behind-the-scenes photos of the making of Fight For Your Right Revisited. Order through the group's website and also receive a Stuyvesant Phys. Ed T-Shirt. -AY Buy: Available November 25th exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday promotion. A limited number of sets is also available for $88.98 via the group's website. The Dear Hunter: The Color Spectrum: The Complete Collection What: The 36-tracks constituting the tremendous 9-EP undertaking The Color Spectrum from Casey Crescenzo’s band The Dear Hunter are collected here on three CDs. Also included is a DVD containing more than two hours of footage from Crescenzo’s country-spanning journey recording the effort with a variety of producers and fellow musicians. The final piece is a 52-page booklet of pictures, lyrics and insight about the collection. -BK Buy: Available now digitally ($34.99) and on CD($24.69) via Amazon.com. Both the limited edition collection of nine colored vinyls and the deluxe wood box set have sold out, so good luck with that.   Dinosaur, Jr.: Cassette Trilogy What: Limited to just 500 copies and encased in a custom wooden box, the set packs cassette copies of Dinosaur Jr.'s first three albums -- 1985's Dinosaur, 1987's You're Living All Over Me, and 1988's Bug. In addition, the wooden box features the classic Dinosaur Jr. 'monster' artwork. -AY Buy: Available now for $39 via Joyful Noise Recordings. Note: only 350 copies are available for purchase online, with the remaining 150 copies to be sold on the band's December West coast tour. The Doors: LA. Woman Singles Box What: Billed as a "one-of-a-kind limited, serial-numbered box set" commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Doors' landmark album, L.A. Woman Singles Box packs classic tracks “The Changeling”, “Riders on the Storm”, and “Love Her Madly”, backed with newly-discovered and never-before-heard alternate takes of each song, and a fourth single of never before-released studio banter. The box artwork also includes the original Messianic image of the naked woman nailed to the telephone pole used for the album’s inner sleeve. -AY Buy: Available November 25th for $49.98 exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday promotion. Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!! What: Limited to just 1,500 copies, the set features a CD, DVD, and 10-inch vinyl EP of material from Elvis Costello’s two-night stint at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on May 11th and 12th, 2011. The CD comprises 16 tracks from both nights, the 10" features four live cuts, and the DVD packs footage of the entire second night, including a special appearance from The Bangles. In addition to the music, the box set contains a 40-page hardcover book of photos, a diary from Costello detailing each gig, a 20" x 30" concert tour poster, a limited edition postcard, and a replica spinning wheel to play with at your discretion. -CC Buy: Available December 6th for $268.29 via Amazon.com. John Fahey: Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You What: Like John Fahey?  Want to hear some of his earliest recordings, taped in a dingy basement in Frederick, MD?  Want to listen to hella-old reel-to-reel tapes of him drunkenly answering questions about his music and career interspersed between some insanely beautiful acoustic guitar playing? Well then, what better way to ring in the holiday spirit than six hours over 115 unearthed, remastered tracks of early John Fahey recordings over 5 discs, an 88-page book chronicling the legendary picker's life, rare photographs of the guy, and some ill packaging?  Not much, not much. -DL Buy: Available now for $69.56 via Amazon.com. Leonard Cohen: The Complete Albums Collection  What: The 18-disc box set compiles Leonard Cohen’s 17 studio and live albums, from his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen up to 2009?s live release Songs From the Road. Each CD in the set is remastered from original analogue master tapes and housed in a mini-LP replica jacket based on their original artwork. In addition, the package includes a 36-page booklet full of “discographical annotations and recording information, as well as a 1,300-word essay by Pico Iyer. -AY Buy: Available now for $119.99 via Leonard Cohen Global Store. An 11-disc set compiling only his studio albums is also available for purchase. Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy What: Mickey Newbury may just be one of country music most criminally-underheard artists. More closely related to artists like Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt than Conway Twitty, Newbury's soft songs are full of weighted emotion and beautiful lyrical imagery. A perfect introduction to a hidden gem, An American Trilogy box set collects arguably his three greatest albums from the late 1960s/early '70s (It Looks Like Rain, 'Frisco Mabel Joy, and Heaven Help the Child) as well as a fourth disc of rare demos and outtakes. -AT Buy: Available now for $71.97 via Amazon.com. Vinyl editions of each disc are also available separately via Drag City's online store. Neutral Milk Hotel Vinyl Box Set What: The vinyl-only box set comprises every single one of Neutral Milk Hotel's albums and EPs along with some 15 unreleased tracks. Among the items included are the band’s two LPs (1996's On Avery Island and 1998's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea), a 7" single of two never-before-released songs in "You’ve Passed" (b/w "Where You’ll Find Me Now"), another 7" single of unreleased and live versions of "Little Birds", a picture disk 7" single of “Holland, 1945", and a 10" EP called Ferris Wheel on Fire featuring eight unreleased acoustic recordings. -CC Buy: Available November 22nd for $88 via the band's official website. All of the included tracks will also be available at a pay-as-you-please price via his Bandcamp account. Pink Floyd Discovery Box Set What: Fourteen albums. Sixteen CDs. One 60-page artwork booklet. From 1967's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn up to 1994's The Division Bell, this set collects it all, making it an absolute gem for any Pink Floyd fan, both new or old. So, if you've got a loved one begging to go on a trip, consider this your cheapest (and most worthwhile) option. See you on the other side. -MR Buy: Available now for $178.99 via Amazon.com. Phish: Hampton/Winston-Salem '97 What: The long-awaited sound recordings of Phish's first two-night stint at Hampton, VA’s Hampton Coliseum (aka the “Mothership”) from November 21st and 22nd of 1997, accompanied by the live recording of the band’s follow-up performance at Lawrence Joel Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC, on November 23rd. Re-mastered by Fred Kevorkian, the seven-CD box set contains all the music performed over those three nights (45 songs, over eight hours across seven discs), plus never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues. -DS Buy: Available December 6th in various formats: 7-CD box set ($39.99), ALAC ($34.97), FLAC (34.97), and MP3 (26.87) via LivePhish.com. Ray Charles: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles What: Containing the A and B-sides of 53 singles (that’s 106 songs) on five CDs, Ray Charles’ Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singlesis exactly what it says it is. The box set holds every single Charles released while signed to ABC-Paramount Records between 1960 and 1972, a peak era for a musician who had finally found “mainstream” success. Out of the 106 digitally remastered tracks included, 21 will be having their first ever digital release, while 30 are debuting on CD. -BK Buy: Available now on CD and digitally for $42.98 via Amazon.com. Rivers Cuomo: The Pinkerton Diaries + Alone III What: In 237 pages, The Pinkerton Diaries gives unparalleled insight into Rivers Cuomo’s mind from 1994 to 1997, the period in which Weezer's landmark album Pinkerton was formed. Beginning on the day of The Blue Album’s May 10th ’94 release, the book collects Cuomo’s “journals emails, letters, photos and school papers” alongside “lyric notebooks, music compositions, and studio notes from the Pinkerton sessions.” First editions are hand numbered. The companion album, Alone III, contains 26 demos of both released and unrealized tracks, all recorded during the years recounted in the book. -BK Buy: Set for a December 12th release, pre-orders are ongoing Cuomo’s website: book and CD for $75, and a premium pack with t-shirt, lithograph, and post-card set for $135.99. Rush: Sectors What: Compiling Rush's 15-album, 14-year run on Mercury Records, the three separate six-disc box sets each include five chronological CDs and a 5.1 surround sound DVD. Sector 1 comprises the band’s 1974 self-titled debut and ends with their first live album, 1976's All the World’s a Stage. Sector 2 features 1981's Moving Pictures and 1977's A Farewell to Kings, which also gets the DVD treatment. Sector 3 starts with 1982's Signals and concludes with 1988's double live album, A Show of Hands. Each Sector comes with a booklet of photos and lyrics, with all three boxes forming a Rush CD road case. --CC Buy: Available November 21st, Sector 1, Sector 2, and Sector 3 each cost $48.46 via Amazon.com. Sigur Rós: Inni What: Directed by Vincent Morisset, Inni compiles footage of Sigur Rós' 2008 performance at London’s Alexandra Palace, their final show before embarking on an indefinite hiatus. A limited deluxe edition set includes the film and a corresponding live album, a 7" single featuring a previously unreleased cut called “Lúppulagid”, an exclusive and unique-to-each-box artefact from the show itself in a numbered, printed envelope a DVD of the 5-minute short “Klippa”, and more, all of which are packaged in a printed 7" sized 4 panel slitpack. -AY Buy: Available now for $79 via the band's website. A standard edition, comprising just the film and the album, as well as a digital edition are also available.  The Smiths Complete: Deluxe Box Set What: In an effort to bankrupt every fan of The Smiths, Rhino Records UK has put together the ultimate box set for completists, vinyl enthusiasts, and, well, any self-respecting music fan. Titled The Smiths – Complete, the forthcoming package features remastered editions of The Smiths’ eight albums (by Johnny Marr, no less), both on CD and 180-gram audiophile vinyl, in addition to all 25 of the group’s singles on individual 7?. They also decided to throw in some prints, a few posters, and a DVD of the group’s music videos. Just remember, we've got a very long winter ahead of us. Best to plan accordingly. -MR Buy: Available now for $499.98 via Rhino Records. CD or vinyl-only box sets are also available. Sting: 25 Years What: The four-disc set comprises 45 remastered tracks that were “personally curated by Sting”, in addition to Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live At Irving Plaza, a previously unreleased live concert DVD. It’s all housed in a hardcover book containing intimate and rare photos from world renowned photographers, complete lyrics, personal commentary and a newly written introduction by Sting. -MR Buy: Available now as a 3 CD/DVD set for $119.99 via Amazon.com. U2: Achtung Baby: Uber Deluxe Edition Buy: A box set which truly lives up to its name, the Uber Deluxe Edition of U2's landmark album Achtung Baby packs six CDs, including the original album, the follow-up Zooropa, B-sides, and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Also squeezed in are four DVDs featuring the new Achtung Baby-focused documentary From The Sky Down, the concert film Zoo TV:Live From Sydney, and all the videos from Achtung Baby, in addition to bonus material. And if that weren't enough, the set also includes the album's five singles pressed on clear 7" vinyl and packaged in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propagandamagazine, four badges, a sticker sheet, and, yes, a pair of Bono's trademark glasses, with all of the above comes contained in magnetic puzzle tiled box. -AY What: Available now for $434.99 via Amazon.com. A Super Deluxe Edition, a Deluxe Edition, a vinyl-only box set, and a standard CD release are also available. The Who: Quadrophenia - The Director's Cut What: Spanning five discs and 60 tracks, the Quadrophenia box set includes a re-master of the original double album, 25 demos from Pete Townshend’s archives, including five songs not on the album that portray the original version of the Quadrophenia concept, an eight-track DVD titled The Quadrophenia 5.1, and a replica 7" of the hit single "5.15" (b/w "Water"). In addition to the music, the set also includes a 100-page hard-back book featuring a 13,000-word essay by Townshend that sheds light on the band during the album’s recording, as well as a track-by-track guide to the demos and studio diary entries. -CC Buy: Available now for $143.99 via Amazon.com. Double vinyl and digital editions are also available. Books Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Music Made New in New York City in the '70s What: Do you ever wish you could have experienced New York City in the '70s? Maybe witness the birth of punk rock, loathe the spawn of disco, and get lost in all the in-betweens? Rolling Stone's senior critic Will Hermes takes you there; more specifically, from New Year's Day 1973 to New Year's Eve of 1977. It's a first person account of one of the most culturally rich movements in music history, and it's all for your leisurely reading. Better yet, you don't need a Delorean to experience it. -MR Buy: Available now for $18.81 via Amazon.com. Moby: Destroyed What: If you're a popular DJ, you're wanted. Everywhere. For nearly 30 years, Moby has hit the live circuit, traversing far and away to share his ambiant electronica. For his latest album, Destroyed, the vegan multi-instrumentalist put together an accompanying book of photography of the same name. With shots everywhere from Berlin to Sumatra to Minnesota to Budapest, Moby shares his sights, all to the soundtrack of his own latest sounds, which come packaged with the book. Who says you need Sky Miles these days? -MR Buy: Available now for $26.37 via Amazon.com. Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty What: Remember the whole books on tape craze? Well, this is sort of the reverse of that. Help a loved one celebrate 20 years of grunge’s most enduring rockers with 384 pages (and 3.5 pounds) of exclusive photos, behind-the-scenes tales, interviews (with the band and their contemporaries), and assorted goodies (playlists, tour notes, and drawings). Besides, does he really need another flannel shirt?  -MM Buy: Available now for $23.67 via Amazon.com. Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism What: Writer Chuck Eddy collects various essays, reviews, and interviews in this anthology that spans over 30 years. As a writer for Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Creem, Spin, and Vibe, Eddy has interviewed everyone from the Beastie Boys to Robert Plant, Flaming Lips to Eminem's grandmother. Widely considered one of the first critics of indie rock, Eddy's collection of writing should easily find its way next to your Chuck Klosterman books. Hey, what do you know, good ol' Chuck writes the foreword here, too. Consider that a more prominent endorsement than what we could ever make. -MR Buy: Available now for $16.47 via Amazon.com. Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction To Its Own Past What: Sick of throwbacks? Sick of obscure 80's references? Feel like retro-chic has transformed into retro-shit? Early on in Retromania, Simon Reynolds asks, "Could it be that the greatest danger to the future of our music culture is ... its past?" If you need a bead on how we digest pop-culture and pop-culture may be heading, this is the book. Required reading for tavern philosophers and micro-genre nerds. -JL Buy: Available now for $12.24 via Amazon. Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by the Songs of The Smiths What: Who says all heroes have to wear tights? What about a sick hairdo and some pinstripes for the head? That's all Morrissey works with - well, that and a seemingly endless supply of lyrical poetry. Using Kickstarter for funding, SpazDog Press publisher Shawn Demumbrum worked alongside some of his favorite comic book artists to bring a series of Smiths-influenced stories to paper. The end result is a 172-page graphic novel that spans 13 different stories, all of which stemmed from songs like "How Soon Is Now?","Cemetery Gates", "Handsome Devil", and more. Think of it this way: Wouldn't Moz look pretty sweet sharing shelf space with The Long Halloween? The answer is a resounding yes. -MR Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Corner Store Comics. Only 300 copies. Act fast. Films Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall What: A 90-minute concert film and corresponding live album of Adele's September 2011 performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. The tracklist includes smash hits "Rolling in the Deep,” “Turning Tables,” and “Someone Like You” alongside covers of Bonnie Riatt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been for Love”. In addition, the film packs previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. -CC Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($13.99) and Blu-ray/CD ($21.99) via Amazon.com. The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition What: The three-disc set digs deep into Neil and Peggi Young's annual charity concert, with appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, Band of Horses, Thom Yorke, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and many, many more musical elite. All profits from the release will go directly to The Bridge School. -CC Buy: Available now on DVD ($19.99) via Amazon.com. A corresponding live album is also available. Foo Fighters: Back and Forth What: In April 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide, shocking the world and putting an end to one of the most vibrant acts in rock 'n' roll history. Out of its ashes, however, came an unlikely story: a raucous and catchy debut from the band's shy drummer. Since the mid-'90s, Dave Grohl has been the amicable spokesman of the Foo Fighters, complete with his trademark grin. But, it hasn't always been laughs and parties. In the group's 16-year-long existence, the band has seen its share of turmoil, despite the goofy videos and no frills rock 'n' roll. Director James Moll's 135 minute documentary, Back and Forth, captures this story with full details, interviewing not only its current members, but those of yesteryear. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll rock out. -MR Buy: Available now on DVD ($16.99) and Blu-Ray ($20.99) via Amazon.com. Kylie Minogue: Aphrodite Les Folies - Live in London What: This holiday season, Kylie Minogue's most extravagant (and successful) tour to date jumps off the stage and onto your HD television with Aphrodite Les Folies: Live in London, a two-hour concert CD/DVD recorded this past April at London’s O2 Arena. Directed by William Baker and Marcus Viner, the performance includes plenty of hits from Minogue’s back catalog, in addition to recent radio stompers off last year’s LP, Aphrodite. In addition to the concert film itself, the DVD and Blu-ray releases also feature an exclusive tour documentary. -MR Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($20.25) and Blu-Ray ($29.49) via Amazon.com. Peter Gabriel: New Blood: Live in London What: New Blood: Live in London features concert footage filmed over two days at The Hammersmith Apollo during Peter Gabriel’s tour last spring. The setlist consists of 22 classics (“Wallflower”, “In Your Eyes”) and covers (Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble”, Regina Spektor’s “Après Moi”) backed by the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra. The film is offered on Blu-ray, DVD, and a 3D Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. A deluxe edition includes the DVD, regular Blu-ray, the New Blood double CD, plus the bonus Blood Donors documentary with an interview from Gabriel, all housed in 60-page hardcover photobook of over 200 pictures. -BK Buy: Available now on DVD ($11.99), Blu-ray ($13.99), 3D combo pack ($24.99), and as deluxe edition ($89.99) via Amazon.com. Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty What: Cameron Crowe's fascinating and intimate documentary on Pearl Jam's 20 year-long history is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Chiseled down from over 1,200 hours of footage, some of which dates back to before the band's inception, Pearl Jam Twenty offers an in-depth look into the legendary Seattle collective history, following the group through its many trials and tribulations. The standard release sports over 26 minutes of never-before-seen footage, while the deluxe release - available only via Ten Club (and currently sold out) - comes packaged as a three-disc set, featuring Crowe's original cut of the documentary (The Kids Are Twenty) and an 80-minute fan film (The Fans Are Alright). Good luck. -MR Buy: Available now on DVD ($17.99) and on January 3rd for Blu-Ray ($14.99) via Amazon.com. The deluxe edition, while sold out over at Pearl Jam's Ten Club, is available for a range of prices ($150-250) via Ebay.com. Radiohead: The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement What: Originally released as a 55-minute television broadcast in Summer 2011, The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement sees Radiohead performing eight track from The King of Limbs in addition to three previously unreleased cuts ("Staircase", "The Daily Mail", and "Supercollider"). The DVD's physical release also includes a 32-page book, featuring photographs by Steve Keros. -AY Buy: Available in early 2012 on DVD (£ 16.00) and Blu-ray (£ 26.00) via the band's website. Both editions include a digital download available beginning December 19th. Talking Heads: Chronology [Deluxe Edition] What: Follow David Byrne and Talking Heads from CBGB to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with this career-spanning collection of 18 live performances. Extras include audio commentary by all four band members, the band’s 1979 appearance on The South Bank Show, and a 1978 interview with Byrne. The deluxe edition is packaged in a hardback cover and includes a 48-page photo and essay book. -MM Buy: Available now on DVD ($22.49) via Amazon.com. Tickets Jeff Mangum What: Reclusive no more, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum will follow up an acclaimed fall tour with another leg of U.S. tour dates starting January 18th. -AY Buy: Tickets are now available via Neutral Milk Hotel's website and Seat Geek. Primavera Sound What: Considered one of Europe's premiere alternative music festival, Bareclona's Primavera Sound returns in 2012 with a lineup led by Jeff Mangum, Björk, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, and many more. -AY Buy: Festival tickets are now available for 160 € (+ booking fee) via the festival's website. Radiohead Photo by Nate Slevin What: Their first tour in three years, Radiohead will hit the road in support of The King of Limbs beginning February 27th. Speaking recently with the BBC, guitarist Ed O'Brien admitted that the band has intentionally chosen to play indoor venues in order to maintain the intimacy of their latest album. "The record, which has a lot of detail in it, it needs to sonically be in a space where the music is loud, strong, and detailed.” O’Brien also added that the tour’s setlist will be comprised mostly of material from The King of Limbs and their 2008 album In Rainbows. -AY Buy: Tickets are now available via Radiohead's website and Seat Geek. Rammstein What: It might not sound like your standard holiday gift, but Rammstein's live performance is something of legend -- X-Rated legend. Prepare yourself for German heavy metal, insane pyrotechnics, and a giant male, uh, apparatus spraying, uh -- well, you get it. The month-long trek kicks off April 20th. -AY Buy: Tickets are now available via Rammstein's website and Seat Geek. Roger Waters: The Wall What: Already one of the highest grossing tours in history, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters will bring The Wall back to North America beginning May 1st. The production for the trek will feature a 40-foot-wide by 35-foot wall between the audience and the stage itself that is slowly knocked down as the concert progresses. Musically, Waters will be accompanied by an eight-piece band and three backing vocalists. -AY Buy: Tickets are now available via Waters' website and Seat Geek. South by Southwest What: Though one of the more pricier tickets you'll ever buy, a badge to South by Southwest earns access to over a thousand bands, films, and panels. Last year's edition featured performers ranging from Foo Fighters, Kanye West, and Queens of the Stone Age to Odd Future, Wild Flag, and Shabazz Palaces. -AY Buy: Multiple types of badges are now available via the festival's website. Weezer Cruise What: It’s a 4-day music festival (January 19-23) on a cruise trip from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, headlined and curated by Weezer. If that alone doesn’t make it a “best gift” guarantee, performances from Dinosaur Jr., Gene Ween and Dave Dreiwitz, Wavves, Yuck, The Antlers and more certainly make it a contender. Add in special events and activities hosted by the individual members of Weezer and many of the other acts, and you’ve got yourself a winner. -BK Buy: Tickets and accommodations range from $599 to $2,499 (plus $179 in taxes and fees), depending on room selection and number of people. Special 4 and 5-pack deals are available on select decks for $499 a head. Wild Flag What: Wild Flag -- the all-female, indie-rock supergroup comprised of former Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, ex-Helium frontgirl Mary Timony, and former Minders keyboardist Rebecca Cole -- returns to the road beginning March 30th. -AY Buy: Tickets are now available via Merge Record's website and Seat Geek. Holiday Music Gruff Rhys: Atheist Xmas EP What: Christmastime is when we're all supposed to feel the warmth of hope and goodness swell inside our hearts. However, Super Furry Animals frontman/solo act extraordinaire Gruff Rhys had a different sentiment in mind with his EP Atheist Xmas. The collection is described as "an unholy trinity of three turkey-free new tracks for the festive season", with the track "Post Apocalypse Christmas" seeing Rhys re-imagine Christmas "through the semi-melted eyes of a nuclear holocaust survivor". It truly is the most wonderful time of year, isn't it? -CC Buy: Available on December 20th as a digital download via Amazon.com. A 12" single version is also available through Rhys' website. John Zorn: A Dreamer's Christmas What: With seven classic tracks and two originals, avant-garde jazz musician John Zorn puts his unique touch on the Christmas soundtrack with A Dreamers Christmas. Eccentric as always, the MacArthur Genius joined with a variety of his frequent collaborators to jazz-up “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, “Winter Wonderland”, and others. Faith No More singer Mike Patton even lends his voice to a captivating rendition of “The Christmas Song”. This is not your grandpa’s holiday record. -BK Buy: Available now on CD ($13.11) and vinyl ($35.80) via Amazon.com.   She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas What: The 12-track compilation sees Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward taking on seminal holiday classics like “Blue Christmas”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. Select packages also include exclusive She & Him mittens and winter cap, and are wrapped in She & Him wrapping papper. A portion of the proceeds benefit 826 National. -AY Buy: Available now on CD and vinyl in various packages via the band's website. A digital version is also available. Scott Weiland: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year What: On The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the Stone Temple Pilots frontman cuts deep and finds his inner Sinatra, bringing us snow and eggnog, while snapping out oldies like “Silent Night” or “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. -MR Buy: Available now on CD ($9.99) via Amazon.com. A digital version is also available. This Warm December - A Brushfire Holiday, Volume 2  What: This Warm December - A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 features 13 tracks from artists on and friends of Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. It includes originals (Jack Johnson’s “In The Morning”, G. Love’s “Christmas Cookies”) as well as renditions of a few classics (“Jingle Bell Rock” from Rogue Wave, Zee Avi’s “Frosty the Snowman”). 25% of profits go to charities focused on youth musical education, including Little Kids Rock and The Silverlake Conservatory. It’s like two gifts in one. -BK Buy: Available now on CD ($11.99) via Amazon.com. A vinyl edition is also available via the label's website. Custom Crafts & Art Band T-Shirts from Lost Records What: Not just any band t-shirts, but Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Albert Ayler Trio, Sun Ra, The Sonics, 13th Floor Elevators, Gun Club, The Mummies, The Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Tommy Boy Records, 4AD Records, et effing cetera. Next best thing to seeing Television at CBGB's is getting a shirt that looked like you saw them there. -JL Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Lost Records Etsy Store Rap/R&B Votive Candles What: If your God is Based, you best have a candle for him, and you should always keep Aaliya in your memories. Plus, I can't think of anything better than a votive candle that says  “I Think I’m Big Meech” with Rick Ross on it. Other options for hip hop devotions include R. Kelly, Nicki Minaj, Ghostface Killah, and Left Eye (not pictured). -JL Buy: Available now, $9 for one, or $15 for two plus shipping and handling via Moneyworth's Etsy Store. The Illustrated "Juicy" by Notorious B.I.G. What: Ok, so while on Moneyworth's Etsy page, I came across this, which is a hand-drawn picture book of the song "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G. And the cover, that's a color Coogi-print. For real. -JL Buy: Available now for $13 at Moneyworth's Etsy Store. Ridiculous/Fun The Flaming Lips: Silver Trembling Fetus Ornament What: Back again for a third year, The Flaming Lips present the ornament any fan knows they want hanging from their tree. Measuring just about 3-inches tall, this silver pewter fetus comes in a custom box, making it the perfect stocking stuffer. Unless the person has some uncomfortable feelings about fetuses, especially those stuffed into stockings. . . -BK Buy: These quirky little fellas are available through the FLips website for $30. Mastodon: The Hunter Mask What: Take care of next year's Halloween costume 11 months early with The Hunter Mask. Inspired by the cover of Mastodon's recent LP of the same name, these 100% custom makes are made from a thick plastic and were assembled locally in the Los Angeles area by a special effects company. According to the band, they're also "very comfortable."  -AY Buy: Available now for $39.99 via the band's website. My Keepon - Interactive Robot [youtube QTWA5tLNJ3c 500 325] What: Need a pal to keep you company while you dance alone? Look no further than My Keepon. Developed by Wow! Stuff and Beatbots, My Keepon is a cute, yellow dancing fiend, who grooves to any sort of tune - especially Spoon. You'll never get the same performance twice. Some may argue science could be better utilized today, but whatever. The scientists definitely got this one right. -MR Buy: Available now for $55.95 via Amazon.com. My Chemical Romance: Danger Days Jackets What: On their most recent record, Danger Days, My Chemical Romance takes on the persona of their alter-egos, the Fabulous Killjoys. Now you too can dress like Jet Star (guitarist Ray Toro), Fun Ghoul (guitarist Frank Iero), Kobra Kid (bassist Mikey Way), or Party Poison (frontman/singer Gerard Way) with these replica jackets. Each jacket is based on designs seen in the videos for “Sing” and “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”. -BK Buy: The Party Poison jackets are currently sold out, but the others are all available on My Chemical Romance’s website for $89.99 to $99.99.   The Official DEVO Yellow Suit What: “Protect yourself from dangerous human elements and stay cool during meltdowns in this official DEVO Yellow Suit.” An exact replica of the suits worn onstage by DEVO, right down to the material quality. Comes in two pieces, jacket and pants, plus an adjustable elastic belt. Please note, it most likely won’t protect you from a real nuclear emergency, but you should be safe if there’s a meltdown at your next costume party. -BK Buy: Available online at the Club DEVO store for $49.99 (XL and Jumbo sizes only). For $32.00, finish off the ensemble with an Energy Dome hat (currently only available in blue). "Stairway to Heaven" Ladder [vimeo 29723709 500 325] What: Salvation is made simple this holiday season thanks to award-winning designer Arthur Analts’ literal take on Led Zeppelin’s most famous song. The limited edition (only 99 made), aluminum “Led Zeppelin” ladder is intended for both practical and decorative use, and various colors and customized engraving options are available. This gift is perfect for reaching paradise or even for just getting those bedroom linens off the top closet shelf. -MM Buy: Inquire at Analts’ website. Young Money Prepaid Discover Card What: Consider yourself a Young Money/Cash Money Billionaire? Tired of lugging around those one hundred bills in your back pocket? Then consider the latest venture from Lil Wayne. The Young Money pre-paid debit card is essentially your standard card, with direct deposit and online billing options. However,  unlike those emblazoned with company logos or fanciful unicorns, you can rep YMCMB in style with its massive branding on top of a sleek red background. It may be the fiscally responsible move, but it will also complicate things the next time you make it rain. -CC Buy: Apply for your very own card here. Practical Gift Certificates C'mon. Who doesn't love getting these? Sure, it's essentially saying, "Yeah, I didn't really care to listen to you all year, but I know you dig this. So have fun," but if you write a convincing and loving card to go with it, it's not so bad. Plus, deep down inside, we're screaming, "Thank god it wasn't an IOU for a meal or dinner." (Don't you just love being an isolated cynic?) So, if you're drawing a blank this season, but know you're friend digs music. You might want to pick up a gift certificate for: InSound, iTunes, or a local record store like Chicago's Reckless Records, for instance. It may be a piece of plastic to you, but it's a cherished vinyl, CD, or experience for someone else. -MR Guitar Pedals Know a pedalhead who's getting bored with the vanilla variety of fuzzes, compressors a wahs that are clogging space on their board? Do they like their tones a li'l bit freaky, or even balls-to-the-wall weird? Luckily for these jaded guitarists, several new stompboxes have hit the market that are doing some pretty cool stuff in relatively new ways. Below you'll find a few suggestions for the perfect effects pedals to brighten their holiday season. Ravish Star What: Is your band looking to add a distinctive Eastern flavor to their songs, but have no room in the station wagon for an additional large, unwieldy instrument? Electro-Harmonix's new Ravish Sitar pedal does an admirable job of transforming your guitar tone into a convincing sitar sound. If your interests extend beyond just a more accurate cover version of “Norwegian Wood”, the wide range of knobs, inputs and presets loaded into this pedal offer up lots of interesting drone possibilities. -AT Buy: Available now for $239.25 at GuitarCenter.com, or demo the pedal at your local Electro-Harmonix dealer. Z.vex Effects Instant What: Ever want to capture the supercharming, lo-fi tone of bands like Guided By Voices, Sebadoh or Ariel Pink, but have been stumped because the quality of your gear is just too damn high? Well, fear no more – Z.Vex Effects has got you covered with their Instant Lo-Fi Junky. Combining a compressor and vibrato, you can kick on the pedal to provide awashed-out, warped cassette tape sound in real time. It's just what you need to surf the chillwave craze before it crashes into the shore! -AT Buy: Available now for $219 via Amazon.com, or try the unit out for yourself at your local Z.Vex dealer. Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas What: For the noise freaks who prefer their shit to be just plain crazy, the always-intriguing Dwarfcraft is introducing the Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas pedal (shortened from its incredibly-badass palindrome form simply to SOMMS). This one pedal features four different oscillators: one pulses, one drones, and two more are controlled by a joystick, so you can mix your crazy synth soundcrafting with the simple pleasures of playing an Atari 2600. Don't even play guitar, but want to get in on the noisy action? The SOMMS features input/output jacks so it can be fed through a pedalboard, but can also be played as an independent instrument. -AT Buy: The SOMMS will begin shipping this month and will sell for $275. Please inquire with your local Dwarfcraft dealer. Rocksmith What: Rhythm music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are great and all, but they mostly boil down to so much bashing of colored buttons. Rocksmith takes the next step, dumps the peripherals and lets players plug in a real guitar, allowing them to actually learn how to play the instrument while they enjoy the game. An included 6.35mm-to-USB cable enables you to plug right in and jam to songs from The Black Keys, David Bowie, The Dead Weather, Muse, and tons more, with downloadable content increasingly added.-BK Buy: The game is available for $77.99 on Xbox 360 and PS3, with the PC version going for $79.96, all from Amazon. A bundle including a starter guitar is available, if you’re willing to search for it. Sennheiser HD595 Dynamic High Grade Performance Premiere Headphones What: The Maybach of headphones -- nonpareil. Its double-take price tag makese these hard to stomach for a personal purchase, but make an amazing gift for a lifetime. Plug it in to your receiver and put on The Band or The Bends and hear the fidelity blow your mind. -JL Buy: Available now for $249.09 via Amazon. Spotify Premium Membership What: If you walk by someone's desk at work and wonder what's up with their Spotify and why its covered in ads, it's cause they probably forgot they can turn them off and get increased sound quality when they buy the premium membership. And, when you buy the $9.99 a month option, you get all of Spotify's bounty on your iPhone or Android. -JL Buy: Well, they don't have gift cards available in America yet, so just tell your giftee to scoot over and you'll put it on your card (via Spotify).]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/consequence-of-sounds-2011-holiday-gift-guide/feed/ 3 New Talking Heads DVD: Chronology http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/new-talking-heads-dvd-chronology/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/new-talking-heads-dvd-chronology/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/08/talking-heads-1.jpg Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:44:39 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=144313

The Talking Heads probably aren’t reuniting anytime soon, so here’s your next best chance to see them live. On October 18th, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a new concert DVD titled Chronology. According to Slicing Up Eyeballs, the film gathers live performance clips from the band’s early club days through their 2002 reunion, as well as commentary from all four band members and an interview with David Byrne from 1978. Also available will be a limited-edition set featuring a 48-page hardcover photo book and an uncut version of an essay rock critic Lester Bangs wrote about the band for Village Voice in 1979.

Check out the DVD’s tracklist below. We also have a clip of our recent interview with former Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz, who is now touring the country with Tom Tom Club. The entire interview will be featured in an upcoming episode of the official CoS podcast: Audiography.

Chronology Tracklist:
01. Mic Test (1976)
02. With Our Love (1975)
03. I’m Not In Love (1975)
04. Psycho Killer (1975)
05. Intros Montage (1976)
06. The Girls Want To Be With The Girls (1976)
07. Don’t Worry About The Government (1978)
08. Dressing room fan footage: Found A Job (1978)
09. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (1978)
10. Warning Sign (1978)
11. Artists Only (1979)
12. Take Me To The River (1979)
13. Crosseyed And Painless (1980)
14. Animals (1980)
15. Love ? Building On Fire (1982)
16. Citie”(1982)
17. Burning Down The House (1983)
18. Life During Wartime (2002)

]]> Chronology. According to Slicing Up Eyeballs, the film gathers live performance clips from the band's early club days through their 2002 reunion, as well as commentary from all four band members and an interview with David Byrne from 1978. Also available will be a limited-edition set featuring a 48-page hardcover photo book and an uncut version of an essay rock critic Lester Bangs wrote about the band for Village Voice in 1979. Check out the DVD's tracklist below. We also have a clip of our recent interview with former Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz, who is now touring the country with Tom Tom Club. The entire interview will be featured in an upcoming episode of the official CoS podcast: Audiography. [vimeo 27770827 500 325] Chronology Tracklist: 01. Mic Test (1976) 02. With Our Love (1975) 03. I’m Not In Love (1975) 04. Psycho Killer (1975) 05. Intros Montage (1976) 06. The Girls Want To Be With The Girls (1976) 07. Don’t Worry About The Government (1978) 08. Dressing room fan footage: Found A Job (1978) 09. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (1978) 10. Warning Sign (1978) 11. Artists Only (1979) 12. Take Me To The River (1979) 13. Crosseyed And Painless (1980) 14. Animals (1980) 15. Love ? Building On Fire (1982) 16. Citie”(1982) 17. Burning Down The House (1983) 18. Life During Wartime (2002)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/new-talking-heads-dvd-chronology/feed/ 0 Today on Cluster 1: Battles, Amanda Palmer, Marissa Nadler, Pujol, Sweet Lights, Terry Gilliam (8/17) http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/today-on-cluster-1-battles-amanda-palmer-marissa-nadler-pujol-sweet-lights-terry-gilliam-817/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/today-on-cluster-1-battles-amanda-palmer-marissa-nadler-pujol-sweet-lights-terry-gilliam-817/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Cluster-1-Monitor-Test400-300x297.jpg Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:49:08 +0000 Ted Maider http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=143997

Well, folks… back from the field and here again at Cluster 1. Outside Lands was quite a weekend, and we have some radical exclusive content coming your way in the form of interviews, live footage, and some more festival goodies. So, stay tuned, but for now, enjoy the past few day’s posts.

Interviews:

Cluster 1 Interview with Chris Frantz (of the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club) – Our very own Cap Blackard sat down with Chris Frantz to talk a darker sound, more EPs, and a tour with the Psychedelic Furs.

Series:

f e e d b a c k Episode 6 – “Battles” – One minute they have the strangest single of the year, the next they’re working with Gary Numan. Clearly, Battles are doing something right.

Documentaries:

Shaking Light (Vol. 2 Ep. 7): “Sweet Lights” – Sweet Lights, aka multi-instrumentalist Shai Halperin, records a thickly layered track over the course of 24 hours.

Shorts:

The Birth – Birthed from boxes? Not so far from the real thing.

Bad Things that Could Happen – The keyword in this title is “could.”

Animation:

Yowie and the Magpie – A dedicated hunter chases down a legendary creature that seems to be very dangerous.

Storytime – Terry Gilliam made this in 1968, and it certainly looks like it. Not to mention, it is totally creepy.

The Bone Orchard – Another 3D animation film done on the program Movie Storm; this film shows a conversation between two cowboys in a saloon.

Music Videos:

Amanda Palmer – “Oasis” – A dark-natured story is told over the most happy song and colorful music video.

Yawn – “Acid” – Psychedelic and totally spacey… Syd Barrett would be so proud.

The Wombats – “Techno Fan” – Apparently, the band developed software to make their creative vision come true.  While the band starts out as well-done illustrations, they slowly become full humans.

Marissa Nadler – “Alabaster Queen” – An enchanting dancer puts on a display deep in the forest.

Mandala – “Blue Darkening” – A tale of life and death in a beautiful forest.

Pujol – “Too Safe” – Daniel Pujol certainly doesn’t play it safe hanging out with all these freaks of the Renaissance Fair.

Don’t Forget…

– Want a constant stream of musical goodness? Check out our Channel, featuring over 30 music videos, several short films, and other nifty clips, all crammed together in one non-stop barrage of visual and aural stimulation.

- Social networking is a way of life, so follow us at @cluster1tv and on Facebook

]]> Shaking Light (Vol. 2 Ep. 7): “Sweet Lights” - Sweet Lights, aka multi-instrumentalist Shai Halperin, records a thickly layered track over the course of 24 hours. Shorts: The Birth - Birthed from boxes? Not so far from the real thing. Bad Things that Could Happen - The keyword in this title is “could.” Animation: Yowie and the Magpie - A dedicated hunter chases down a legendary creature that seems to be very dangerous. Storytime - Terry Gilliam made this in 1968, and it certainly looks like it. Not to mention, it is totally creepy. The Bone Orchard - Another 3D animation film done on the program Movie Storm; this film shows a conversation between two cowboys in a saloon. Music Videos: Amanda Palmer – “Oasis” - A dark-natured story is told over the most happy song and colorful music video. Yawn – “Acid” - Psychedelic and totally spacey… Syd Barrett would be so proud. The Wombats – “Techno Fan” - Apparently, the band developed software to make their creative vision come true.  While the band starts out as well-done illustrations, they slowly become full humans. Marissa Nadler – “Alabaster Queen” - An enchanting dancer puts on a display deep in the forest. Mandala – “Blue Darkening” - A tale of life and death in a beautiful forest. Pujol – “Too Safe” - Daniel Pujol certainly doesn’t play it safe hanging out with all these freaks of the Renaissance Fair. Don’t Forget… – Want a constant stream of musical goodness? Check out our Channel, featuring over 30 music videos, several short films, and other nifty clips, all crammed together in one non-stop barrage of visual and aural stimulation. - Social networking is a way of life, so follow us at @cluster1tv and on Facebook]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/today-on-cluster-1-battles-amanda-palmer-marissa-nadler-pujol-sweet-lights-terry-gilliam-817/feed/ 0 Cluster 1 Interview: Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club & Talking Heads http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/cluster-1-interview-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-talking-heads/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/cluster-1-interview-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-talking-heads/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:00:17 +0000 Joe Marvilli http://cluster1.consequenceofsound.net/?p=1547

At the beginning of the year, Consequence of Sound and Cluster 1’s own Cap Blackard called up Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads for a bit of a chat. This time around, they met face to face – and Cap brought a camerawoman (Eleanor Edwards). In the six minute interview above, you can hear what Frantz has to say about the future of Tom Tom Club. He touches upon what we can expect from future recordings (hint: lots of EPs), new Tom Tom Club side-ventures (the darker, electronic-leaning Chris und Tina), and touring with Psychedelic Furs and Devo. There’s also a few comments about his time with Talking Heads, including having Tom Tom Club as an opener and working on music videos with David Byrne. Hear everything he has to say in the clip above.

This video presentation is only an excerpt from a much longer conversation. You can hear the whole thing in an upcoming episode of the official CoS podcast: Audiography.

-Ben Kaye

Interview by: Cap Blackard
Camera by: Eleanor Edwards
Edited by: Colin Peterson

]]> Interview by: Cap Blackard Camera by: Eleanor Edwards Edited by: Colin Peterson]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/cluster-1-interview-chris-frantz-of-tom-tom-club-talking-heads/feed/ 1 Video: Interview with Chris Frantz (of Talking Heads & Tom Tom Club) http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/video-interview-with-chris-frantz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/video-interview-with-chris-frantz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtomclub-thumb.jpg Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:22:23 +0000 Ben Kaye http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=143000

At the beginning of the year, Consequence of Sound and Cluster 1’s own Cap Blackard called up Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads for a bit of a chat. This time around, they met face to face — and Cap brought a camerawoman (Eleanor Edwards). In the six-minute clip above, you can hear what Frantz has to say about the future of Tom Tom Club. He touches upon what we can expect from future recordings (hint: lots of EPs), new Tom Tom Club side-ventures (the darker, electronic-leaning Chris und Tina), and touring with Psychedelic Furs and Devo. There’s also a few comments about his time with Talking Heads, including having Tom Tom Club as an opener and working on music videos with David Byrne. Hear everything he has to say in the clip above, or over at Cluster 1.

This video presentation is only an excerpt from a much longer conversation. You can hear the whole thing in an upcoming episode of the official CoS podcast: Audiography.

]]> Consequence of Sound and Cluster 1’s own Cap Blackard called up Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads for a bit of a chat. This time around, they met face to face -- and Cap brought a camerawoman (Eleanor Edwards). In the six-minute clip above, you can hear what Frantz has to say about the future of Tom Tom Club. He touches upon what we can expect from future recordings (hint: lots of EPs), new Tom Tom Club side-ventures (the darker, electronic-leaning Chris und Tina), and touring with Psychedelic Furs and Devo. There’s also a few comments about his time with Talking Heads, including having Tom Tom Club as an opener and working on music videos with David Byrne. Hear everything he has to say in the clip above, or over at Cluster 1. This video presentation is only an excerpt from a much longer conversation. You can hear the whole thing in an upcoming episode of the official CoS podcast: Audiography.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/08/video-interview-with-chris-frantz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/feed/ 1 The 30 Best Live Versions of Songs http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/the-30-best-live-versions-of-songs/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/the-30-best-live-versions-of-songs/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/07/live-thumb.jpg Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:15:53 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=133637

This may be weird, but I always think of concerts as a kind of consummation — like finally getting the chance to be alone with that special squeeze you’ve been sweatin’ for a while. The relationship between you, a band, and a song are finally at the most intimate, whether you’re in the corner of a bar or on the muddy fields of Glastonbury. And for all the time you’ve spent peeling away the layers of a track, analyzing every note, every word, every minute detail about down to the the last wavelength, in concert the pressure is now on the band. Do they really look like their profile pic?

It’s nerve-racking when the moment comes. Some bands have performance anxiety, or were just plain lying about what they were actually packing. Most bands are satisfyingly WYSIWYG, and remain true to their promises. These bands and these songs below, however, represent the most powerful moments in a connection between audience and performer — moments of dynamic expansion that open up whole new parts of the song that you never even knew existed. At the time it’s a revelation, and in retrospect it can be a rediscovery, but it’s always something unique.

We tried to compile a list of songs that resonated on several levels. There are cultural turning points, fan favorites, canonical benchmarks, and most importantly, personal experiences. Name another art form where you’re allowed to feel something so personal, so moving, so hair-raisingly beautiful in the company of hundreds or thousands of other people possibly feeling and relating to the exact same thing you are (MDMA levels notwithstanding). The subjectivity of a live performance is almost more apt than a studio recording, but these here are songs we felt transcended personal preference and reached out to even those who weren’t there (Or: you’ll probably get chills from watching these videos).

But there are more memories than there are YouTube videos™. There will be concerts from an unknown band in the middle of nowhere that will leave a stronger impression than being front row at Radiohead or backstage at The Boss, and that’s a fact. These songs give your personal experiences a run for their money, and while you may not believe that anything will ever top the time the lead singer of Ulterior Motifs set his guitar on fire and suplexed the bass player into the floor tom, we hope you spend some time co-opting the magic that was created with these performances– live performances that deepen, expound, and straight-up own the studio versions.

-Jeremy D. Larson
Content Director

Joy Division – “Transmission”

On record, they were clean. On stage, they were clean. So, what’s the difference? With “Transmission”, Curtis doesn’t spit out the lyrics so much as he threads together a fragile yet magnificent rope, from which he swings around and around. No one will ever dismiss Martin Hannett’s timeless and unorthodox mixing on Unknown Pleasures, it’s an indefectible example of diamond production work. But in hindsight, the radical producer simply trapped the group’s carnal tendencies. Inside the album existed what only a few knew at the time: This Manchester quartet was working with something otherworldly, and watching “Transmission” live proves this. It’s just a tad spooky, that’s all.  -Michael Roffman

The Flaming Lips – “Race For the Prize”

Balloons, smoke machines, confetti, 40-foot projection screens, colored lights, and background dancers wearing plush animal costumes – “Race for the Prize” not only marked a turning point in the band’s recording career, but the transformation of their live performances into the sensory-overloading grand spectacle they’re known for being today. After The Soft Bulletin, it no longer seemed as if we were just watching a band perform on acid, but as if the entire audience were tripping along with them. Now a staple on their setlists, there isn’t a song in The Flaming Lips’ catalog better-suited for setting the tone for their loony live shows than the soaring acid-pop of “Race for the Prize”.  -Austin Trunick

Tool – “Third Eye”

“Think for yourself…question authority,” the opening monologue begs of its listeners, just before one of Tool’s most prestigious and haunting musical numbers hushes a live audience. “Third Eye” is the closing track from 1996′s Ænima, and from this 1998 concert recording, fans can reminisce on days when Maynard James Keenan could dole out a scream that made people question their own identity. The version present here can be found on Tool’s Salival compilation per secondhand purchase, as it’s now out of print. -David Buchanan

John Coltrane – “My Favorite Things”

John Coltrane took Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway classic “My Favorite Things” for a spin just two years after it hit the stage in the Sound of Music by stretching the showtune into a madcap 13-and-a-half minute jam that’s considered one of the most essential jazz records of all time. Leave it to John Coltrane, though, to turn his own hit on its head whenever he and his band played it live, most notably at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival. In perhaps the finest performance of his career, Coltrane and his sidemen take the tune on an extended, 17-minute jaunt so hypnotic and memorable, you’ll never whistle that chipper little melody the same way again.  -Möhammad Choudhery

Massive Attack- “Angel”

On tour, “Angel” takes on a whole new life with the help of the band’s signature moody light show and a stellar live band that includes two live drummers. Ominous hi-hats and a pitch-black guitar line give way to an apocalyptic burst of bass/guitar/drums just as Horace Andy gets done muttering the line, “love you, love you, love you.”  Here, Massive Attack tackle their signature song before a crowd of thousands at Glastonbury 2008. The best part? That split-second of awed silence right as the band kicks in and the crowd explodes. -Möhammad Choudhery

Okkervil River – “Westfall”

Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff was inspired to pen this eerie tune after hearing the gory details of the Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin, Texas. While the album version successfully explores the confounding nature of true evil, only the raucous live rendition is able to capture the savage spirit of the murders themselves. The song begins minimally, conjuring a stark atmosphere with guitar, mandolin, and bass drum before an ominous string chord kicks off the pounding coda “evil don’t look like anything,” as Sheff howls and the rest of the band falls apart around him. The same crescendo occurs on record, but it feels tight rather than chaotic. -Dan Caffrey

Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”

Director Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads’ 1984 masterwork, Stop Making Sense, is the concert film. While many reasons exist for backing such an argument, only one truly matters — David Byrne’s jaunty opening rendition of “Psycho Killer”. Sharp outfit, syncopated beats, cassette tape, acoustic guitar, and a man whose gait could be translated to mental imbalance or physical comedy…forget Andrew WK and the Beastie Boys; Byrne’s boombox beats you to the punch. -David Buchanan

LCD Soundsystem – “Yeah”

James Murphy says “Yeah” a total of 577 times in this video (you don’t have to count it — it’s all there). That’s more times than I’ve ever said anything in my entire life, and still you never get sick of it. Against that disco drum and bass, the band stretches the song’s poles to the max, and if you happen to be in the crowd during “Yeah”, you will find yourself screaming all 577 “Yeah”s right along with him. Trance-punk was given a live birth. -Jeremy D. Larson

Bruce Springsteen – “Thunder Road”

Aside from being a fantastic live version of the side-one, track-one to his untouchable Born To Run, this six-minute clip, recorded in his native New Jersey in 1978, is a tiny encapsulation of exactly what The Boss’ live show is all about. From the energy and charisma emitted by Springsteen, the signature Fender Telecaster, his supporting cast (Max Weinberg on drums, old friend Steve Van Zandt on guitar/shaky backup vocals, and the late Clarence Clemons – whose chilling sax solo means more this week than it did a month ago), to his faithful, adoring fans cheering “Bruuuuuuuuuce!” as the video comes to a close, this is what Springsteen is (and has always been) about. -Winston Robbins

Sufjan Stevens – “Impossible Soul”

On “Impossible Soul”, Age of Adz’s cathartic 25-minute closer, Sufjan Stevens redefines melodrama and virtuosic, genre-leaping scope. Stevens, in his typically ostentatious fashion, opted to close out every show on the Age of Adz tour with the whole damn thing. “Impossible Soul” is a roller-coaster ride through Stevens’ right brain: from the crestfallen call and response intro, through an atypical vocoder segment, into the stirring metaphysical rally song mid-section that finally leads into a heartrending, finger-picked outro. Woah. -Möhammad Choudhery

Bob Marley – “No Woman, No Cry”

This version is so deep in the groove I’m not sure how anyone gets out of it when it ends. Before Ska sped things up, Bob Marley slowed things down when he took “No Woman, No Cry” to the stage, which is the version that most people are familiar with. The studio version has its merits, but this is the only option for a campfire mixtape or memorial tribute. Plus, when you tell someone that “everything’s gonna be alright”, you never want to rush it. -Jeremy D. Larson

Phish – “Fluffhead”

There was no greater news to New England in the winter of 2009 than the word that Phish was getting back together for a three-night run at the Hampton Coliseum. What started out as three (very thorough) reunion shows turned into the next leg of the Vermont quartet’s career, and they kicked everything off with “Fluffhead”. Out of their entire catalog, “Fluffhead” has always been a big fan favorite that made occasional appearances within their setlists, but this time, it was the charge to start everything off. While the studio version off 1986′s Phish (or, The White Tape) sounds like a playful demo, the Hampton ’09 version is like a musical call to arms (or to jamming). As that wonderful C-D-G-F progression rang out into the spring Virginia night, it was clear that the only people more excited about this reunion than Anastasio, Gordon, Fishman, and McConnell…were the phans. -Ted Maider

Led Zeppelin – “Dazed and Confused”

By the time the Royal Albert Hall gig rolled around in January 1970, Led Zeppelin had already begun to take over the world. But this show in particular would showcase their improvisational prowess on “Dazed and Confused”, turning the original six-and-a-half minute recording into a majestic 16-minute opus. Already a mainstay in their live repertoire, there was just something about the track this time around that really stuck. To date, it still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This is how it’s done.  -Megan Caffery

My Morning Jacket – “Dondante”

The slow, intimate start leads to an emotional blast of soaring vocals followed by some of the most powerful saxophone playing this side of John Coltrane. When done the right way – and My Morning Jacket usually do it the right way – it can truly be a transcendental experience. For a well respected live band with countless good “live versions”, the fact that “Dondante” usually comes away as the highlight to their shows says it all. -Carson O’Shoney

Radiohead – “Everything In Its Right Place”

How do you play any of Kid A live? How do you even write an album like Kid A? And how on earth does a distorted, confused and recycled Thom Yorke sing along with a real Thom Yorke, playing a keyboard that gets recycled and cut up too, until the band can leave the stage while their music goes on, slowly eating itself? Ask any Parisian that watched them in 2001 above. –Chris Woolfrey

Arcade Fire – “Power Out/Rebellion”

Not many songs can slow the tempo down while doubling the audience energy at the same time. Yet that’s what Arcade Fire does for every concert. Whether it segues out of an explosive “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” or more recently “Month of May”, “Rebellion (Lies)” is the pinnacle of a live performance. There’s the subtle moment where the bass and keys start to peek through the thrashing guitar noise of the previous song, sending those shivers down your spine. Then there’s the singalong. When the band scream out “Lies!” so does the everyone in the crowd. Like, everyone. –Joe Marvilli

The Beatles – “Get Back”

“Four people playing as they never would again” is how The Beatles’ rooftop concert has been described, and it’s easy to see why. This is a band with tensions rife from about a decade in the public eye among other things, rallying round for a knock-out final performance. “Get Back”, set against the police bearing down on the group as the quartet brought the music to a kind of anti-climactic diminuendo, closed their impromptu set on top of the Apple office on Savile Row. Nobody knew it then, maybe not even The Beatles, but this song was the last song they would ever play together, and it’s beautiful precisely because that future was so uncertain. In the words of John Lennon: “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition.” -Chris Woolfrey

U2 – “Where The Streets Have No Name”

This is the song that every U2 fan waits for at every show. No matter what else is played or whether the band is on or not, “Where the Streets Have No Name” is guaranteed to be spectacular. First, there’s the red screen that brightens up as the opening organ comes in. Edge arrives with that icy arpeggio that blooms into every corner of the venue. The drums kick in, all the lights shine on, and Bono and the boys are off. Everyone sings and dances along, being together in this moving experience that can’t be just described. You have to see and hear it to believe it. -Joe Marvilli

My Bloody Valentine – “You Made Me Realise”

“You Made Me Realise”, besides being My Bloody Valentine (MBV)’s go-to rocker, is noted for closing the band’s reunion shows in an extended “holocaust” of white noise. Lasting between 10 minutes and 30 (compared to less than a minute on the studio version), MBV holds the final chord before the final verse, strikes it at a deafening level, and by the time the band explodes back into the main riff — if it even bothers — most of the crowd has forgotten what song was playing. Anyone who saw MBV in 2008/2009 is well aware every venue was stocked to the roof in free earplugs, and “Realise” is the reason why. -Harry Painter

Animal Collective – “Fireworks”

There was plenty to fall in love with during this epic, show-closing rendition of Strawberry Jam‘s adrenaline-pumping “Fireworks”. At around 13-minutes long, the band begins by teasing fans with the signature helicopter pulse-rhythms of “Fireworks”, while beginning Hollinndagain‘s “Lablakey Dress”, ultimately morphing that deep-cut into a 10-minute exploration of “Fireworks” pushing the thing to its absolute limits–including a mid-song layover in Danse Manatee‘s “Essplode”. But while Geologist’s headlamp bops around, clashing with the epileptic lightshow, and while Avey Tare chants the song’s infectious melody over his washed-out strums, just watching Noah Lennox feverishly attack his minimal, high laying drumset in syncopated thrusts is one of live music’s most breathtaking experiences. As is usually the case with these Animals, it’s hard to tell what’s really going on, but with a result so utterly awe-inspiring, it really couldn’t matter any less. -Drew Litowitz

Rage Against The Machine – “Freedom”

Back in the ’90s, Rage Against the Machine was one of the finest live acts to grace the mainstream, and it brought a lot of sadness in 2001 when they announced their breakup. To finish off their (first) run, the band booked two nights at Los Angeles’s Grand Olympic Auditorium. Their finale, “Freedom”, remains a staple of their live show, primarily due to Zack de la Rocha’s improvisational lyrics he would throw into the mix (“Forget about your history and just buy…and just buy”). The live version (particularly this one) was the sonic equivalent of a Washington D.C. riot, as de la Rocha screamed “Freedom! For Mumia! Freedom! Yeah!” for what appeared to be the last time. Luckily though, it wasn’t. -Ted Maider

The Grateful Dead – “Dark Star”

(Part 1)

(Part 2)

(Part 3, Part 4)

“Dark Star” is the quintessential Dead song. Consisting of no more than a couple of riffs and two short verses, the real meat is the improvisation between those elements, often stretching to over 20 minutes of mind-blowing psychedelia. There’s a studio version, a paltry 2:40 long, that should never have existed in the first place. So of all the stellar live versions, why 8/27/72? Although the legendary Live/Dead version represents the primal 1969 sound, the 1972 Veneta performance fuses the Dead’s early ’70s modal jazz style with the searing controlled chaos of the ’60s, propelling this show into “best ever” contention. -Jake Cohen

Duke Ellington Orchestra – “Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue”

As you will be able to tell in the scrolling story of the clip, this song is the stuff of jazz legends. Maybe not quite on par with Max Roach throwing a crash cymbal at Charlie Parker, or Buddy Rich cussing out the tour bus every night, or Charles Mingus shooting his bass with a gun (yes), but definitely a solid #4. Paul Gonsalves’ 28 choruses of blues solo instigated what passed for a “riot” at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956. If only for 10 minutes, the spirit of Big Band was reanimated due to a tenor sax player’s passion and groove. -Jeremy D. Larson

Radiohead – “The Gloaming”

On Hail to the Thief, “The Gloaming. (Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold.)” is unassuming, the only sign of life being the coronary pulse of the repeated bass note. Either out of a need to keep concert-goers awake, or out of Thom Yorke’s love for uninhibited dorky dancing, Radiohead turns it into just that, a high-energy dance number. It’s a win-win, because not only does the rhythm section of Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway find themselves with something to do, but thanks to Yorke’s scattered and looped vocals, “The Gloaming” retains the album version’s sense of distorted obtuseness. -Harry Painter

Iron & Wine – “Upward Over the Mountain”

If you had told me back in 2002 (damn, I’m getting old) that one day I’d be getting the fuck down–I mean literally losing my shit –to The Creek Drank the Cradle‘s “Upward Over The Mountain” at 2008′s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, I’d probably have told you to pull yourself together, lay off the acid, and to stop listening to your bootleg of The Grateful Dead’s 1976 Show at the Beacon Theater. When the time came, Sam Beam jumped onstage as pilot to a well-oiled and irresistible jam machine. And on the set’s highlight, “Upward Over the Mountain”, the bearded folkie stretched out one of his sparse, slow-rolling lo-fi gloomers into a full-fledged rock epic, fit with percussion, pedal steel, and a penetrating slide guitar melody parsed from the dust-speckled, minimal offerings of one of Beam’s mellowest recordings. -Drew Litowitz

Daft Punk – “Around The World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”

I once described Daft Punk’s live album Alive 2007 as sounding “a lot more like a seamless greatest hits collection than a live effort.” That declaration goes the same for this video clip as it did for the album. Daft Punk’s unforgettable Alive Tour was not only visually spectacular production, but one of the most musically cohesive. This particular cut is a combination of their biggest hit from the ’90s, “Around the World”, and their biggest hit from the ’00s, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”. As the two tracks seamlessly bleed in and out of one another with lights, pyramids, and robot suits to boot, it’s not hard to see the allure behind the French duo and why they’re arguably the most popular dance/electronic DJs of this generation. -Winston Robbins

Atoms For Peace – “Harrowdown Hill”

Among all the computer loops and slanted rhythms found on The Eraser, “Harrowdown Hill” is certainly the grooviest. When you have a bassline that infectious, you need the funkiest bassist around to give it some extra slap and pop. Enter Flea, whose body-shaking performance compliments Thom Yorke’s sporadic dancing perfectly. Add in a hard-hitting, organic performance from the rest of the band and you have the highlight of any Atoms for Peace concert. -Joe Marvilli

Peter Frampton – “Do You Feel Like We Do?”


For over 20 years, Frampton Comes Alive! was the best selling live album of all time, and “Do You Feel Like We Do?” is its most iconic track. Free of the pop fluff of “Baby, I Love Your Way” or “Show Me The Way”, the nearly 15 minute “Do You Feel Like We Do?” features Frampton’s most virtuosic and exciting use of his trademark talk box. The studio version (did you even know one existed?), with its lethargic tempo and no talk box, shrinks the three-chord jam from 10 to barely more than one minute. It seems a mere technicality compared to the live beast. -Jake Cohen

The National – “Mr. November”

Fans of The National will know this as their famous closer (though “Terrible Love” has rightfully overtaken that spot of late) and it’s the part in the show where Matt Berninger stumbles through the audience with glazed eyes and screams “I won’t fuck us over, I’m Mr. November” with one and all. However, at 2010′s Lollapalooza, Berninger scaled a wall and crouched down to a toddler and gave the crowd the most endearing radio edit you’ve ever heard. I mean, if that doesn’t make your heart melt a bit, you better pray for a girl from Kansas to show up and oil your joints. -Jeremy D. Larson

Blur – “Tender”

Sometimes what makes the live performance of a song a truly special event is the crowd itself. At Blur’s big Glastonbury comeback, the unique rapport between the band and the crowd can be summed up in one word: “Tender.” Not only was Blur back, but Graham Coxon was along for the ride, and a hundred thousand fans expressed their gratitude by shouting along Coxon’s lines at the top of their lungs and enabling the transformation of “Tender” into a nearly-10 minute singalong. This Glastonbury moment elevated the emotions so high for the rest of the evening that Damon Albarn later broke down and cried on-stage, and fans went on to sing en masse “Oh my baby, oh my baby, oh why, oh my” during the encore breaks and on the way back to their tents.  -Frank Mojica


]]> Jeremy D. Larson Content Director Joy Division - "Transmission" On record, they were clean. On stage, they were clean. So, what's the difference? With "Transmission", Curtis doesn't spit out the lyrics so much as he threads together a fragile yet magnificent rope, from which he swings around and around. No one will ever dismiss Martin Hannett's timeless and unorthodox mixing on Unknown Pleasures, it's an indefectible example of diamond production work. But in hindsight, the radical producer simply trapped the group's carnal tendencies. Inside the album existed what only a few knew at the time: This Manchester quartet was working with something otherworldly, and watching "Transmission" live proves this. It's just a tad spooky, that's all.  -Michael Roffman The Flaming Lips - "Race For the Prize" Balloons, smoke machines, confetti, 40-foot projection screens, colored lights, and background dancers wearing plush animal costumes – “Race for the Prize” not only marked a turning point in the band's recording career, but the transformation of their live performances into the sensory-overloading grand spectacle they're known for being today. After The Soft Bulletin, it no longer seemed as if we were just watching a band perform on acid, but as if the entire audience were tripping along with them. Now a staple on their setlists, there isn't a song in The Flaming Lips' catalog better-suited for setting the tone for their loony live shows than the soaring acid-pop of “Race for the Prize”.  -Austin Trunick Tool - "Third Eye" "Think for yourself...question authority," the opening monologue begs of its listeners, just before one of Tool's most prestigious and haunting musical numbers hushes a live audience. "Third Eye" is the closing track from 1996's Ænima, and from this 1998 concert recording, fans can reminisce on days when Maynard James Keenan could dole out a scream that made people question their own identity. The version present here can be found on Tool's Salival compilation per secondhand purchase, as it's now out of print. -David Buchanan John Coltrane - "My Favorite Things" John Coltrane took Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway classic “My Favorite Things” for a spin just two years after it hit the stage in the Sound of Music by stretching the showtune into a madcap 13-and-a-half minute jam that’s considered one of the most essential jazz records of all time. Leave it to John Coltrane, though, to turn his own hit on its head whenever he and his band played it live, most notably at the 1963 Newport Jazz Festival. In perhaps the finest performance of his career, Coltrane and his sidemen take the tune on an extended, 17-minute jaunt so hypnotic and memorable, you’ll never whistle that chipper little melody the same way again.  -Möhammad Choudhery Massive Attack- "Angel" On tour, “Angel” takes on a whole new life with the help of the band’s signature moody light show and a stellar live band that includes two live drummers. Ominous hi-hats and a pitch-black guitar line give way to an apocalyptic burst of bass/guitar/drums just as Horace Andy gets done muttering the line, “love you, love you, love you.”  Here, Massive Attack tackle their signature song before a crowd of thousands at Glastonbury 2008. The best part? That split-second of awed silence right as the band kicks in and the crowd explodes. -Möhammad Choudhery Okkervil River - "Westfall" Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff was inspired to pen this eerie tune after hearing the gory details of the Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin, Texas. While the album version successfully explores the confounding nature of true evil, only the raucous live rendition is able to capture the savage spirit of the murders themselves. The song begins minimally, conjuring a stark atmosphere with guitar, mandolin, and bass drum before an ominous string chord kicks off the pounding coda "evil don't look like anything," as Sheff howls and the rest of the band falls apart around him. The same crescendo occurs on record, but it feels tight rather than chaotic. -Dan Caffrey Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer" Director Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads' 1984 masterwork, Stop Making Sense, is the concert film. While many reasons exist for backing such an argument, only one truly matters -- David Byrne's jaunty opening rendition of "Psycho Killer". Sharp outfit, syncopated beats, cassette tape, acoustic guitar, and a man whose gait could be translated to mental imbalance or physical comedy...forget Andrew WK and the Beastie Boys; Byrne's boombox beats you to the punch. -David Buchanan LCD Soundsystem - "Yeah" James Murphy says "Yeah" a total of 577 times in this video (you don't have to count it -- it's all there). That's more times than I've ever said anything in my entire life, and still you never get sick of it. Against that disco drum and bass, the band stretches the song's poles to the max, and if you happen to be in the crowd during "Yeah", you will find yourself screaming all 577 "Yeah"s right along with him. Trance-punk was given a live birth. -Jeremy D. Larson Bruce Springsteen - "Thunder Road" Aside from being a fantastic live version of the side-one, track-one to his untouchable Born To Run, this six-minute clip, recorded in his native New Jersey in 1978, is a tiny encapsulation of exactly what The Boss’ live show is all about. From the energy and charisma emitted by Springsteen, the signature Fender Telecaster, his supporting cast (Max Weinberg on drums, old friend Steve Van Zandt on guitar/shaky backup vocals, and the late Clarence Clemons – whose chilling sax solo means more this week than it did a month ago), to his faithful, adoring fans cheering “Bruuuuuuuuuce!” as the video comes to a close, this is what Springsteen is (and has always been) about. -Winston Robbins Sufjan Stevens - "Impossible Soul" On “Impossible Soul”, Age of Adz’s cathartic 25-minute closer, Sufjan Stevens redefines melodrama and virtuosic, genre-leaping scope. Stevens, in his typically ostentatious fashion, opted to close out every show on the Age of Adz tour with the whole damn thing. "Impossible Soul" is a roller-coaster ride through Stevens’ right brain: from the crestfallen call and response intro, through an atypical vocoder segment, into the stirring metaphysical rally song mid-section that finally leads into a heartrending, finger-picked outro. Woah. -Möhammad Choudhery Bob Marley - "No Woman, No Cry" This version is so deep in the groove I'm not sure how anyone gets out of it when it ends. Before Ska sped things up, Bob Marley slowed things down when he took "No Woman, No Cry" to the stage, which is the version that most people are familiar with. The studio version has its merits, but this is the only option for a campfire mixtape or memorial tribute. Plus, when you tell someone that "everything's gonna be alright", you never want to rush it. -Jeremy D. Larson Phish - "Fluffhead" There was no greater news to New England in the winter of 2009 than the word that Phish was getting back together for a three-night run at the Hampton Coliseum. What started out as three (very thorough) reunion shows turned into the next leg of the Vermont quartet’s career, and they kicked everything off with “Fluffhead”. Out of their entire catalog, “Fluffhead” has always been a big fan favorite that made occasional appearances within their setlists, but this time, it was the charge to start everything off. While the studio version off 1986's Phish (or, The White Tape) sounds like a playful demo, the Hampton ’09 version is like a musical call to arms (or to jamming). As that wonderful C-D-G-F progression rang out into the spring Virginia night, it was clear that the only people more excited about this reunion than Anastasio, Gordon, Fishman, and McConnell…were the phans. -Ted Maider Led Zeppelin - "Dazed and Confused" By the time the Royal Albert Hall gig rolled around in January 1970, Led Zeppelin had already begun to take over the world. But this show in particular would showcase their improvisational prowess on "Dazed and Confused", turning the original six-and-a-half minute recording into a majestic 16-minute opus. Already a mainstay in their live repertoire, there was just something about the track this time around that really stuck. To date, it still makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This is how it's done.  -Megan Caffery My Morning Jacket - "Dondante" The slow, intimate start leads to an emotional blast of soaring vocals followed by some of the most powerful saxophone playing this side of John Coltrane. When done the right way - and My Morning Jacket usually do it the right way - it can truly be a transcendental experience. For a well respected live band with countless good "live versions", the fact that "Dondante" usually comes away as the highlight to their shows says it all. -Carson O'Shoney Radiohead - "Everything In Its Right Place" How do you play any of Kid A live? How do you even write an album like Kid A? And how on earth does a distorted, confused and recycled Thom Yorke sing along with a real Thom Yorke, playing a keyboard that gets recycled and cut up too, until the band can leave the stage while their music goes on, slowly eating itself? Ask any Parisian that watched them in 2001 above. --Chris Woolfrey Arcade Fire - "Power Out/Rebellion" Not many songs can slow the tempo down while doubling the audience energy at the same time. Yet that’s what Arcade Fire does for every concert. Whether it segues out of an explosive “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” or more recently “Month of May”, “Rebellion (Lies)” is the pinnacle of a live performance. There’s the subtle moment where the bass and keys start to peek through the thrashing guitar noise of the previous song, sending those shivers down your spine. Then there’s the singalong. When the band scream out “Lies!” so does the everyone in the crowd. Like, everyone. --Joe Marvilli The Beatles - "Get Back" "Four people playing as they never would again” is how The Beatles’ rooftop concert has been described, and it’s easy to see why. This is a band with tensions rife from about a decade in the public eye among other things, rallying round for a knock-out final performance. "Get Back", set against the police bearing down on the group as the quartet brought the music to a kind of anti-climactic diminuendo, closed their impromptu set on top of the Apple office on Savile Row. Nobody knew it then, maybe not even The Beatles, but this song was the last song they would ever play together, and it’s beautiful precisely because that future was so uncertain. In the words of John Lennon: "I'd like to say 'thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition." -Chris Woolfrey U2 - "Where The Streets Have No Name" This is the song that every U2 fan waits for at every show. No matter what else is played or whether the band is on or not, “Where the Streets Have No Name” is guaranteed to be spectacular. First, there’s the red screen that brightens up as the opening organ comes in. Edge arrives with that icy arpeggio that blooms into every corner of the venue. The drums kick in, all the lights shine on, and Bono and the boys are off. Everyone sings and dances along, being together in this moving experience that can’t be just described. You have to see and hear it to believe it. -Joe Marvilli My Bloody Valentine - "You Made Me Realise" "You Made Me Realise", besides being My Bloody Valentine (MBV)'s go-to rocker, is noted for closing the band's reunion shows in an extended "holocaust" of white noise. Lasting between 10 minutes and 30 (compared to less than a minute on the studio version), MBV holds the final chord before the final verse, strikes it at a deafening level, and by the time the band explodes back into the main riff -- if it even bothers -- most of the crowd has forgotten what song was playing. Anyone who saw MBV in 2008/2009 is well aware every venue was stocked to the roof in free earplugs, and "Realise" is the reason why. -Harry Painter Animal Collective - "Fireworks" There was plenty to fall in love with during this epic, show-closing rendition of Strawberry Jam's adrenaline-pumping "Fireworks". At around 13-minutes long, the band begins by teasing fans with the signature helicopter pulse-rhythms of "Fireworks", while beginning Hollinndagain's "Lablakey Dress", ultimately morphing that deep-cut into a 10-minute exploration of "Fireworks" pushing the thing to its absolute limits--including a mid-song layover in Danse Manatee's "Essplode". But while Geologist's headlamp bops around, clashing with the epileptic lightshow, and while Avey Tare chants the song's infectious melody over his washed-out strums, just watching Noah Lennox feverishly attack his minimal, high laying drumset in syncopated thrusts is one of live music's most breathtaking experiences. As is usually the case with these Animals, it's hard to tell what's really going on, but with a result so utterly awe-inspiring, it really couldn't matter any less. -Drew Litowitz Rage Against The Machine - "Freedom" Back in the '90s, Rage Against the Machine was one of the finest live acts to grace the mainstream, and it brought a lot of sadness in 2001 when they announced their breakup. To finish off their (first) run, the band booked two nights at Los Angeles’s Grand Olympic Auditorium. Their finale, “Freedom”, remains a staple of their live show, primarily due to Zack de la Rocha’s improvisational lyrics he would throw into the mix (“Forget about your history and just buy…and just buy”). The live version (particularly this one) was the sonic equivalent of a Washington D.C. riot, as de la Rocha screamed “Freedom! For Mumia! Freedom! Yeah!” for what appeared to be the last time. Luckily though, it wasn’t. -Ted Maider The Grateful Dead - "Dark Star" (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3, Part 4) "Dark Star" is the quintessential Dead song. Consisting of no more than a couple of riffs and two short verses, the real meat is the improvisation between those elements, often stretching to over 20 minutes of mind-blowing psychedelia. There's a studio version, a paltry 2:40 long, that should never have existed in the first place. So of all the stellar live versions, why 8/27/72? Although the legendary Live/Dead version represents the primal 1969 sound, the 1972 Veneta performance fuses the Dead's early '70s modal jazz style with the searing controlled chaos of the '60s, propelling this show into "best ever" contention. -Jake Cohen Duke Ellington Orchestra - "Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue" As you will be able to tell in the scrolling story of the clip, this song is the stuff of jazz legends. Maybe not quite on par with Max Roach throwing a crash cymbal at Charlie Parker, or Buddy Rich cussing out the tour bus every night, or Charles Mingus shooting his bass with a gun (yes), but definitely a solid #4. Paul Gonsalves' 28 choruses of blues solo instigated what passed for a "riot" at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956. If only for 10 minutes, the spirit of Big Band was reanimated due to a tenor sax player's passion and groove. -Jeremy D. Larson Radiohead - "The Gloaming" On Hail to the Thief, "The Gloaming. (Softly Open Our Mouths in the Cold.)" is unassuming, the only sign of life being the coronary pulse of the repeated bass note. Either out of a need to keep concert-goers awake, or out of Thom Yorke's love for uninhibited dorky dancing, Radiohead turns it into just that, a high-energy dance number. It's a win-win, because not only does the rhythm section of Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway find themselves with something to do, but thanks to Yorke's scattered and looped vocals, "The Gloaming" retains the album version's sense of distorted obtuseness. -Harry Painter Iron & Wine - "Upward Over the Mountain" If you had told me back in 2002 (damn, I'm getting old) that one day I'd be getting the fuck down--I mean literally losing my shit --to The Creek Drank the Cradle's "Upward Over The Mountain" at 2008's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, I'd probably have told you to pull yourself together, lay off the acid, and to stop listening to your bootleg of The Grateful Dead's 1976 Show at the Beacon Theater. When the time came, Sam Beam jumped onstage as pilot to a well-oiled and irresistible jam machine. And on the set's highlight, "Upward Over the Mountain", the bearded folkie stretched out one of his sparse, slow-rolling lo-fi gloomers into a full-fledged rock epic, fit with percussion, pedal steel, and a penetrating slide guitar melody parsed from the dust-speckled, minimal offerings of one of Beam's mellowest recordings. -Drew Litowitz Daft Punk - "Around The World/Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" I once described Daft Punk’s live album Alive 2007 as sounding “a lot more like a seamless greatest hits collection than a live effort.” That declaration goes the same for this video clip as it did for the album. Daft Punk’s unforgettable Alive Tour was not only visually spectacular production, but one of the most musically cohesive. This particular cut is a combination of their biggest hit from the '90s, “Around the World”, and their biggest hit from the '00s, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”. As the two tracks seamlessly bleed in and out of one another with lights, pyramids, and robot suits to boot, it’s not hard to see the allure behind the French duo and why they’re arguably the most popular dance/electronic DJs of this generation. -Winston Robbins Atoms For Peace - "Harrowdown Hill" Among all the computer loops and slanted rhythms found on The Eraser, “Harrowdown Hill” is certainly the grooviest. When you have a bassline that infectious, you need the funkiest bassist around to give it some extra slap and pop. Enter Flea, whose body-shaking performance compliments Thom Yorke’s sporadic dancing perfectly. Add in a hard-hitting, organic performance from the rest of the band and you have the highlight of any Atoms for Peace concert. -Joe Marvilli Peter Frampton - "Do You Feel Like We Do?" For over 20 years, Frampton Comes Alive! was the best selling live album of all time, and "Do You Feel Like We Do?" is its most iconic track. Free of the pop fluff of "Baby, I Love Your Way" or "Show Me The Way", the nearly 15 minute "Do You Feel Like We Do?" features Frampton's most virtuosic and exciting use of his trademark talk box. The studio version (did you even know one existed?), with its lethargic tempo and no talk box, shrinks the three-chord jam from 10 to barely more than one minute. It seems a mere technicality compared to the live beast. -Jake Cohen The National - "Mr. November" Fans of The National will know this as their famous closer (though "Terrible Love" has rightfully overtaken that spot of late) and it's the part in the show where Matt Berninger stumbles through the audience with glazed eyes and screams "I won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November" with one and all. However, at 2010's Lollapalooza, Berninger scaled a wall and crouched down to a toddler and gave the crowd the most endearing radio edit you've ever heard. I mean, if that doesn't make your heart melt a bit, you better pray for a girl from Kansas to show up and oil your joints. -Jeremy D. Larson Blur - "Tender" Sometimes what makes the live performance of a song a truly special event is the crowd itself. At Blur's big Glastonbury comeback, the unique rapport between the band and the crowd can be summed up in one word: "Tender." Not only was Blur back, but Graham Coxon was along for the ride, and a hundred thousand fans expressed their gratitude by shouting along Coxon's lines at the top of their lungs and enabling the transformation of "Tender" into a nearly-10 minute singalong. This Glastonbury moment elevated the emotions so high for the rest of the evening that Damon Albarn later broke down and cried on-stage, and fans went on to sing en masse "Oh my baby, oh my baby, oh why, oh my" during the encore breaks and on the way back to their tents.  -Frank Mojica ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/the-30-best-live-versions-of-songs/feed/ 36 The Next Chinese Democracy: Music’s most overdue albums http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/the-next-chinese-democracy-musics-most-overdue-albums/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/the-next-chinese-democracy-musics-most-overdue-albums/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/01/chinesedem-thumb.jpg Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:58:38 +0000 CoS Staff http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=88714 Speculation gets the best of us. We feed on it. It’s sort of like Devil’s food cake, or something sweet and alarmingly harmful to our diet. We know it’s unhealthy for us, but we can’t help but return to its flavor. More often than not, speculation runs the music industry.

Day in and day out, artists drop cryptic hints at everything they’re involved in: an LP, a tour, a reunion, a breakup, or, sometimes, a collaboration. Some stay true to their words (e.g. Jack White), others forget about them (e.g. Dr. Dre). Fans never do, however. That’s why you have countless legions of fanatics, all raving about this and that, when this and that never amounted to anything, anyhow. But, it’s fun, nonetheless. It’s why folks continue slaving away on message boards and searching the footnotes of Wikipedia, all looking for more.

The truth is out there.

Ah, of course. The quest for truth. Well, in this industry, truth is what you hold in your hands, whether it be a ticket or a sealed LP. Nothing is certain until it’s a product. Take Guns N’ Roses 2008 myth-turned-reality, Chinese Democracy. For 14 years, the album drove speculation to epic heights. People bootlegged shows, they squandered over demos, they debated over lineup changes, and they held onto every vague quote that Axl Rose spit out. It became a deep-seated fascination that couldn’t, and wouldn’t, die… that is, until that fateful Sunday morning in November, when fans strolled into Best Buy and ended their “pain” and “suffering.” Although, for some, it just began.

Most will agree that the journey leading up to the album happened to be more exciting than the end result itself. That’s what hype and speculation does to us. It’s sort of a hobby. No, it is. People flock to these myths in the industry no different than Fox Mulder to an alien conspiracy, all because it’s the quest for a truth we believe in.

Or, it’s just too damn fun.

Having said that, we rounded up our list of the industry’s most overdue albums, the ones “we’ve heard about” for years. Our next “Chinese Democracy“, if you will. Some of them might never see the light of day – well, probably the majority, actually – but if we learned anything from our time with Mr. Rose & Co., maybe we’re okay with that.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief

Kurt Cobain’s solo album

The Internet can be a useful tool for digging up obscure or unfinished media, but sometimes, even a myth that far outweighs an actual product is precisely that — a myth.

The oft-idolized Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, amidst abandoned rehabilitation efforts, a European tour for Nirvana, and uncontested mental distress. Prior to that, the release of MTV Unplugged ignited rumors of a possible breakup, probably due to that album’s straightforward intimacy, alongside Cobain’s dwindling sanity. Since that time, the now-released Nirvana recording “You Know You’re Right” has vaguely dispelled any rumors of an immediate breakup being planned then.

Despite this, people have, in circles, insisted upon there being a bevy of Cobain solo material lurking in the vaults. I am positive that there is no Kurt Cobain solo album, nor has there ever been one in the making, for if there had been, we would surely have known it by now. Meanwhile, long live Nirvana. Live at Reading, anyone? -David Buchanan
Odds of Release: Zilch

The Weird Sisters’ first album

Ever wonder what rock music sounds like in Harry Potter’s world? Turns out it’s kinda like Radiohead fronted by Pulp. For the fourth entry in the film franchise, Goblet of Fire, the bigwigs at WB formed an unfathomably impressive super group to play a band of wizarding musicians. Originally to feature members of Franz Ferdinand, The Weird Sisters were fronted, instead, by Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. Behind them were Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, Jason Buckle from All Seeing I on guitar, and Steven Claydon of Add N to (X) playing keyboards and bagpipes. Yeah, wow. Three songs appeared on the soundtrack, including one performed during the movie’s Yule Ball scene, “Do The Hippogriff”.“This is the Night” and school dance slow-jam “Magic Works” were also included. Initially, Cocker had plans for a full album’s worth of Weird Sisters music, with contributors ranging from Franz to Jack White to Iggy friggin’ Pop. However, and despite reported death threats, a small Canadian outfit calling themselves The Wyrd Sisters filed suit against WB. The case kept the fictional band’s name out of the movie and would-be collaborators out of the studio. Greenwood and Selway are currently finishing up Radiohead’s impending eighth album, and Pulp has joined the ranks of bands reuniting to play festivals. With no further word, odds aren’t looking great for the fruition of a Weird Sisters record. Then again, the lawsuit was settled back in March, and next July sees the final Potter movie’s release. Though the settlement details are sealed, everyone knows production companies love to squeeze every cent out of franchises, and a Weird Sisters album could see major cross-audience profit. It’s a long shot, to be sure, dependent on the musicians’ schedules and the terms of the settlement. But, if you believe in magic… -Ben Kaye
 Odds of Release: 100/1

The Postal Service’s second album

In 2003, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel flooded college radio airwaves and independent film soundtracks with the song, “Such Great Heights”. It wasn’t long before the duo, under the moniker The Postal Service, became an indie household name, and their album Give Up went gold. Eight years later, there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, movement on a follow-up. Word got out back in 2008 that five songs had been started in the duo’s collaboration, but nothing has yet come of those. Gibbard himself joked to Rolling Stone, “The second Postal Service album is threatening to become the Chinese Democracy of indie rock. It will come out eventually, or maybe it won’t.” Since then, the DCFC frontman has found himself working with scores of other artists, including his new wifey, and is now in the studio working on his main unit’s next record, with a tour surely following. Tamborello is currently recruiting collaborators for his next project, while also pumping out Dntel material. The most recent news comes from an interview Tamborello did with Spinner, in which he says, “I don’t think it’ll ever be officially over, but there’s a good chance it’ll never come together.” So while we shouldn’t expect this album anytime soon – if ever – one can find hope in the fact that Chinese Democracy, while taking almost twice as long, ultimately did find its way onto shelves. Will history (eventually) repeat itself? -Ben Kaye
 Odds of Release: 80/1

The Blue Nile’s fifth album

“Absolutely thrilled that you’re back. Please don’t disappear again.” So reads the last comment on the enigmatic Glasgow, Scotland, outfit’s MySpace, and that was made a year ago. Fans of The Blue Nile are patient folks. The band has released precisely four albums in the last 26 years with the last one, High, out in 2004. So, it should be almost time for another one, right? Let’s try the official website, an exercise in such minimalism that these guys must be into serious Feng Shui. So, we register. “Brand new music and video downloads are coming soon to this page!” it proclaims. The exclamation mark is promising. Unfortunately, that’s about it. You can download an exclusive instrumental version of “Stay Close” from the last album, sample the first three releases, and allegedly view a (it had to be) hidden YouTube channel. To add to the mystery, the link took me to an invite to download the Flash Player I already have. Let’s just safely say that the next Blue Nile record may be out in the next 10 years. But going on past experience, at least it should be a good one. -Tony Hardy
Odds of Release: 25/1

The Avalanches’ second album

Almost 10 years ago electronic Melbourne, AU collective The Avalanches released their debut album, Since I Left You, an alternative dance meets hip hop mash-up which has become regarded as one of the best albums of the 2000s. Since then, The Avalanches have left us with nothing but yearly hints and vague promises of a second album since the latter half of the aughts. In 2006, the band’s record label, Modular Records, released a statement joking that they were not releasing The Avalanches’ next album because it sounded rushed, which later caused the label to release a statement explaining that they were being facetious and the next album was, “everything we dared not hope for, and so much more. They’ve made the record of their lives basically.” In January of 2007, the band stated on their website that 40 tracks were being considered and described the record as, “so fuckin party you will die.” They were even more incredulous about a prospective release date, explaining that, “one day when you least expect it you’ll wake up and the sample fairy will have left it under your pillow.” However, 2008 saw the biggest let down of them all when Modular Records executive Steve Pav said he expected the album to be delivered to him on Christmas Day. He stated: ”After many, many moons and several years that have passed by and several promises of getting a new album I’ve been assured that on Christmas Day they’re going to deliver their new album to my little grotty hands.” Whether or not he received the album, it doesn’t matter… we didn’t.

Something odd happened in 2009, though. Fans kept hope alive when they found a photo-shopped version of the back cover to The Who’s The Who Sell Out on the band’s website. The cover had been remade by adding Clearasil spot remover and the words “clearing samples”, insinuating that the album had been completed and was in the process of clearing copyrights. Still, nothing. Then came 2010, by far the most promising year yet, when the band’s webmaster Clint announced in June, “I hear Ariel Pink is recording some guest vocals for it and once those are done, the album will be finished (!).” Five months later – that’s November, everyone – the fan’s cajoling continued when the band revamped their website, leaving a message that read, “Stay tuned in the coming months for special announcements.” A few days after their website was given a new look, the band re-tweeted a tweet from The Roots drummer Quest Love about their new album: “I need a new album by The Avalanches STAT….” Hey, J Fal can do wonders on his show, reuniting bands we never thought possible, could the magic have passed on to his pal? Let’s hope. -Mark Sabb
 Odds of Release: 4/1

Outkast’s seventh album


Outkast’s future as a group has been in doubt ever since the release of 2006′s Idlewild. Since then, both Big Boi and Andre 3000 have focused on their solo projects, leaving behind the name that made the celebrated duo popular. Most figured this was the end of everyone’s favorite rap duo, but the two artists assured everyone that they weren’t breaking up. According to Big Boi, a new Outkast project will occur after both he and Andre 3000 release their own records. Andre picked up on this in 2007, saying to MTV, “After we do those solo albums, we’re planning on doing another Outkast album. I don’t know how long that’s gonna be; it could be two years.” Even though it’s now been four years, there haven’t been any major steps taken towards a seventh Outkast record.

Since the band’s future depends on solo work first, any progress made in that field is progress towards an Outkast LP. Big Boi released Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty earlier this year. The album was supposed to feature “Royal Flush”, a single featuring a guest appearance by Andre. But the track was removed from the finished product due to legal complications stemming from Big Boi resigning from Jive Records. Andre’s own track, “I Do”, found its way online in August, proving that his solo album may be on the way soon as well. Hopefully, once Andre’s record drops, concrete info on the next Outkast project will begin to pop up. -Joe Marvilli
 Odds of Release: 3/1

My Bloody Valentine’s third album


Dublin’s wicked shoegaze unit My Bloody Valentine could have owned the ’90s. Their sophomore masterpiece, 1991′s Loveless, sugarcoated plenty of critics’ minds, enough that they’d eventually list the album as their favorite of the decade. The album catapulted them onto a major label (Island Records), where they received enough dough to build their own studio, somewhere in South London. Given that the landmark effort took two years to create, it wasn’t surprising that principal songwriter Kevin Shields took his time on the follow-up. But, then came a meltdown and then 1996 arrived. Several band members went off to do their own thing, leaving Shields on his own to either record, jam with Dinosaur Jr. or Yo La Tengo, or disappear. He did all three, but he did remain productive. By the late ’90s, according to David Stubbs, Shields would go on to deliver 60 hours worth of music to Island Records. Nothing came of this, however. In fact, years later, he would go on to trash the work, which Wikipedia reports as having been influenced by “jungle music.”

Shoot to 2007, the band reunites and jams once again, leading to a world tour and appearances at countless music festivals over the next two years. They even curate 2009′s All Tomorrow’s Parties ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ festival. But, still there’s no new album. In 2008, Shields tells The New York Times, “I realized that all that stuff I was doing in 1996 and 1997 was a lot better than I thought,” insisting that the band would follow up Loveless and record again. It’s 2011, nearly 20 years after Loveless, and we’re still waiting…sadly. But, what better time than now? As Jakarta Globe reported earlier this month, “shoegaze is looking up.” You should take advantage, Mr. Shields. -Michael Roffman
Odds of Release: 2/1

The Heads’ second album

When the Talking Heads officially disbanded in 1991, the only malcontent was David Byrne. The rest of the band, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (better known as Tom Tom Club) and Modern Lovers guitarist Jerry Harrison wanted to carry on making dark, funky art rock. In 1996, they re-banded and re-branded themselves as “The Heads”, and their first and only album, the scathingly titled No Talking Just Head, is one of the greatest forgotten albums of the ’90s. The former Talking Heads were a musical force even without Byrne, but how do you replace as enigmatic a vocalist as David Byrne? An all-star collection of singers, a different one on every track, including Debbie Harry, INXS’ Michael Hutchence, Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano, XTC’s Andy Partridge, and Violent Femme’s Gordon Gano. No Talking Just Head was drastically different from anything Talking Heads had ever done, and though the sound was different, the music was as rich and evocative as ever.

What happened? What put No Talking Just Head outside everyone’s radar? Why no follow-up? Well, apparently, “The Heads” and the sexually connotative “No Talking Just Head” hit too close to home for a certain Mr. David Byrne, and he sued. The lawsuit, plus the dissolution of the MCA label, killed the album’s launch, and the act faded into obscurity. However, recently it was confirmed that an entire second album was recorded. In Ian Gilchrist’s essay included with the Deluxe Edition of Tom Tom Club and Close to the Bone, he says: “Intent on embarking on a second Heads album, they joined forces with trumpeter and vocalist Jimmy Helms of Londonbeat, but by mid-1997 corporate restructuring at MCA spelled the end of The Heads (their second album remains unmixed), and Chris and Tina began writing songs for a new Tom Tom Club album instead.” Aside from this quote, this album might as well not exist.

Recently, I had a chance to chat with Mr. Frantz and, naturally, I had to ask about this album. “It’s sitting on the shelf in our studio right now,” said Frantz, “It’s not finished, but all the basic tracks are there. It could be finished, if someone was enthusiastic enough to finance that.” An entire second album by some of the greatest talents in alternative music is safe and sound, not rotting, forgotten in the back of a studio vault. I was relieved. Currently, Tom Tom Club are mobilizing on a new album, so if the long-lost Heads album is ever to see the light of day, it will still be a while. The good news is that Frantz and Weymouth own the second Heads album, unlike their incredible debut, which is at the whim of Universal to re-release. The fate of both the first and second album are in your hands: Let the demand be known! For more on the development of the original Heads album, the unreleased second album, and upcoming plans for Tom Tom Club, check out the interview.  -Cap Blackard
Odds of Release: 1/1

Damien Rice’s third album

You’d think wounded Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice would have even more material than usual since losing lover/band member Lisa Hannigan after his last album 9. But while you couldn’t turn on the television without hearing one of his weepy ballads early last decade, Rice has been largely absent since 2007. When Rice has turned up, it’s been doing songs for Tibet documentaries, busking with Bono in his home country of Ireland, or doing an occasional one-off show. According to a rare interview in late 2009 with Irish magazine Hot Press, Rice had plans for a new album, but he was far more candid about other topics. This, coupled with the lukewarm reception to his sophomore effort, makes for a murky future for Rice. The murk, however, is alleviated by the fact that the man is 37 and has already gone the move-to-Tuscany-and-become-a-hermit route. He’s a musician, and the question of his third album is less a question of whether it will happen than when he can pull his shit together and put something out. -Harry Painter
Odds of Release: 1/1

Bruce Springsteen – Electric Nebraska


Released in 1982, Nebraska was a collection of ten haunting, bare-bones demos that Bruce Springsteen recorded on a four-track before supposedly fleshing them out with the E Street Band. Most fans say there is no doubt that an electric version of the album exists, and those closest to Springsteen confirm the speculation. Jon Landau, who produced Springsteen records from 1975 to 1991, has been quoted as saying that “the right version came out,” and former E Street drummer Max Weinberg went as far as to say that “[we] actually did record all of Nebraska and it was killing.” He added that the plugged-in version was hard-edged, but that Springsteen still preferred the demos to what they caught on tape. “There is a full band Nebraska album,” Weinberg told Rolling Stone in June, “all of those songs are in the can somewhere.” The Boss just re-released Darkness on the Edge of Town and seems to be in a nostalgic mood, so while the earliest we may hear full-band takes on Nebraska cuts may be when the album turns 30 in 2012, we think this mythical beast will show itself sooner or later. -Ray Roa
Odds of Release: 1/2

Weezer – Songs from the Black Hole


Originally set to be Weezer’s epic sophomore effort, Songs from the Black Hole, instead, has become an oddball online scavenger hunt. For awhile, earlier in the ’00s to be exact, fans scoured everywhere for it. To date, it’s still heavily discussed on message boards across the net. Okay, so what is it, exactly?

Believe it or not, but Cuomo had other intentions before Pinkerton came to fruition. Sure, it’s a classic and loved by everyone who adores alternative rock, but that’s today. Around ’94, Cuomo was penciling in ideas for an alt-rock space-opera, complete with a cast of characters and a motley crew of collaborators, which included faces like Rachel Haden and Joan Wasser. In 2007, Cuomo explained the story to Rolling Stone: “There’s this crew – three guys and two girls and a mechanoid – that are on this mission in space to rescue somebody, or something. The whole thing was really an analogy for taking off, going out on the road and up the charts with a rock band, which is what was happening to me at the time I was writing this and feeling like I was lost in space.”

By now, we know this never happened. Pinkerton surfaced, stirred up a melting pot of fanatics and critics, and has now become (arguably) the group’s strongest effort to date. As for the scrapped Songs… project, fans continue to have a ball with compiling demos and B-sides. What started with internet leaks in 2002 continued with piecing material off of other Weezer artifacts, including their ’04 DVD, Video Capture Device, where fragments of “Superfriend” were taken. Over the years, Cuomo teased fans with lyrics, sheet music, and notes via his MySpace blog; that is, until he released his Alone recordings, which began in 2007. This gave fans a plethora of Songs… material, including “Longtime Sunshine”, “Blast Off!”, “Who You Callin’ Bitch?”, “Dude, We’re Finally Landing”, and “Superfriend”.

Today, between the Pinkerton re-issue and Death to False Metal, it’s clear that Cuomo has no intention of keeping all this stuff in the vaults. With two track lists known to fans, both of which can be read here, it’s hard to tell which really is the official one. (Then again, given the project’s status, it’s hard to make an argument for what is right or wrong to begin with.) Apparently three copies are known to exist, all on CD-R, and in possession of longtime band friend (and webmaster) Karl Koch and, naturally, Cuomo himself. Will we ever see it? Not sure it matters at this point, but you never know. Let’s go with… hopefully. -Michael Roffman
Odds of Release: 1/2

Green Day – Cigarettes and Valentines

Green Day almost never created American Idiot. True story: In the summer of 2003, the Oakland trio were near completion with their follow up to 2000′s Warning. Titled Cigarettes and Valentines, the album would have been more akin to the group’s alternative punk sound, prevalent in 1997′s Nimrod, and would have definitely been a more traditional album. What happened? All 20 tracks and master tapes were stolen from the studio and instead of re-recording them, or even using the demo tapes, which bassist Mike Dirnt stated “[weren't] the same as the originals,” Green Day started from scratch. The rest is history. American Idiot arrived, the band returned to the top, yada, yada, yada. Nobody’s crying over it, even the boys themselves, who called the theft, a “blessing in disguise”; however, fans continue to wonder, “Will we ever hear Cigarettes & Valentines?” The answer? Yes. Last year, the band performed the title track on its 21st Century Breakdown Tour, and it’ll be included on the forthcoming live album, Awesome as Fuck, due out March 22nd. As for the rest? We don’t know. Possibly? Some fans speculate that The Network’s Money 2020 album contained a wealth of material originally from Cigarettes & Valentines, but Armstrong denied such accounts. Given the use of the title track, perhaps we’ll see something bleed out eventually. One would hope their next album isn’t a concept. Right? -Michael Roffman
Odds of Release: 1/2

Zach de la Rocha’s solo album

The future is unwritten… at least that’s what my Rage Against the Machine poster says. For RATM’s vocalist and unofficial mascot, the preaching rapper Zack de la Rocha, audiences are still wondering what is in his musical future. Shortly after Rage’s demise, the former frontman released a song with DJ Shadow entitled “March of Death”, which received some positive press and clued us in on a potential solo album. Sources indicated that Trent Reznor and El-P were also involved in the molding of this album, but nothing ever came of it. There was never a release, never a music video, and never a song on the radio (not even satellite radio). This was back in 2002 when all the news of de la Rocha’s highly anticipated debut was buzzing around magazines and the internet, and as time went on, various tracks of de la Rocha’s solo work surfaced within the media. The track with Trent Reznor, “We Want It All”, appeared on a Fahrenheit 9/11 compilation, and de la Rocha performed another solo track, “Sea of Dead Hands”, a few years later. It was evident that he was composing new solo work, but no collective album was ever released. Since the solo tracks, Zack has reunited with Rage Against the Machine and even gone on to form a new group with drummer Jon Theodore called One Day as a Lion. There’s no telling if Zack de la Rocha has any intention of releasing his solo debut, but then again, the future is unwritten. Until then, we wait… and pray for the new Rage album rumors to be true. -Ted Maider
Odds of Release: 1/1

GZA – Liquid Swords 2: The Return of the Shadowboxer


In terms of delays for a hip-hop album, this one is a drop in the pond compared to other releases. Even still, the original Liquid Swords was a masterpiece, heralded by even the Chicago Tribune as one of hip-hop’s most impressive lyrical works. The hype, it seems, stems from the magic created between GZA and Wu-Tang brethren and producer RZA, who haven’t worked together on a record since the first Liquid Swords. Originally announced in April 2010, the album was first scheduled to be dropped in early December via two posts on the official Wu-Tang Facebook. A later post revealed the album is now set to be released sometime in 2011. With a wide enough window, we’re just hoping that the return is sooner rather than later. -Chris Coplan
Odds of Release: 2/1

Dr. Dre – Detox


If you ever asked yourself why we did this list, what’s the genesis for all this frustration, we’d answer with one word: Detox. As arguably one of the most epic and pioneering hip-hop producers of all time, not to mention being a decent MC in his own right, Dr. Dre literally changed the game with his unique style, bringing the West Coast sound to the world at large. So, after releasing 2001 back in 1999, fans eagerly awaited Dre’s third LP, which the Doc was more than happy to announce work on starting back in 2003. What’s followed in the last eight years is enough delays, bump backs, and information overload to create a Wikipedia page with depth and length usually reserved for world wars or seasons of Battlestar Galactica.

Recounting the last eight years would be almost impossible, but it’s safe to say that, much like Christmas, the announcement and inevitable delay of this album has become a yearly tradition. However, in Dre’s defense, there are a number of contributing factors that led to the album’s gargantuan delay. For instance, in the interim, Dre has gotten involved with a number of business deals, including schlepping cognac and pushing his own brand of designer headphones. There’s also the sheer amount of material created for the album; at one point, DJ Quik revealed that Dre had recorded some 400 songs for the LP, not to mention other tracks written by the likes of Dre mentee Slim da Mobster and Alex da Kid. The most recent word, though, is that the album will at last drop in 2011, which looks more promising with the release of two songs (“Kush” and “I Need a Doctor”) from the record in late 2010. Even with the countless delays, interest among fans to finally hear the finished product is nothing short of a medical miracle. -Chris Coplan
Odds of Release: 3/1

]]> Chinese Democracy. For 14 years, the album drove speculation to epic heights. People bootlegged shows, they squandered over demos, they debated over lineup changes, and they held onto every vague quote that Axl Rose spit out. It became a deep-seated fascination that couldn't, and wouldn't, die... that is, until that fateful Sunday morning in November, when fans strolled into Best Buy and ended their "pain" and "suffering." Although, for some, it just began. Most will agree that the journey leading up to the album happened to be more exciting than the end result itself. That's what hype and speculation does to us. It's sort of a hobby. No, it is. People flock to these myths in the industry no different than Fox Mulder to an alien conspiracy, all because it's the quest for a truth we believe in. Or, it's just too damn fun. Having said that, we rounded up our list of the industry's most overdue albums, the ones "we've heard about" for years. Our next "Chinese Democracy", if you will. Some of them might never see the light of day - well, probably the majority, actually - but if we learned anything from our time with Mr. Rose & Co., maybe we're okay with that. -Michael Roffman President/Editor-in-Chief Kurt Cobain's solo album The Internet can be a useful tool for digging up obscure or unfinished media, but sometimes, even a myth that far outweighs an actual product is precisely that -- a myth. The oft-idolized Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, amidst abandoned rehabilitation efforts, a European tour for Nirvana, and uncontested mental distress. Prior to that, the release of MTV Unplugged ignited rumors of a possible breakup, probably due to that album's straightforward intimacy, alongside Cobain's dwindling sanity. Since that time, the now-released Nirvana recording "You Know You're Right" has vaguely dispelled any rumors of an immediate breakup being planned then. Despite this, people have, in circles, insisted upon there being a bevy of Cobain solo material lurking in the vaults. I am positive that there is no Kurt Cobain solo album, nor has there ever been one in the making, for if there had been, we would surely have known it by now. Meanwhile, long live Nirvana. Live at Reading, anyone? -David Buchanan Odds of Release: Zilch The Weird Sisters' first album Ever wonder what rock music sounds like in Harry Potter’s world? Turns out it’s kinda like Radiohead fronted by Pulp. For the fourth entry in the film franchise, Goblet of Fire, the bigwigs at WB formed an unfathomably impressive super group to play a band of wizarding musicians. Originally to feature members of Franz Ferdinand, The Weird Sisters were fronted, instead, by Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. Behind them were Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, Jason Buckle from All Seeing I on guitar, and Steven Claydon of Add N to (X) playing keyboards and bagpipes. Yeah, wow. Three songs appeared on the soundtrack, including one performed during the movie’s Yule Ball scene, “Do The Hippogriff".“This is the Night” and school dance slow-jam “Magic Works” were also included. Initially, Cocker had plans for a full album's worth of Weird Sisters music, with contributors ranging from Franz to Jack White to Iggy friggin’ Pop. However, and despite reported death threats, a small Canadian outfit calling themselves The Wyrd Sisters filed suit against WB. The case kept the fictional band’s name out of the movie and would-be collaborators out of the studio. Greenwood and Selway are currently finishing up Radiohead’s impending eighth album, and Pulp has joined the ranks of bands reuniting to play festivals. With no further word, odds aren’t looking great for the fruition of a Weird Sisters record. Then again, the lawsuit was settled back in March, and next July sees the final Potter movie’s release. Though the settlement details are sealed, everyone knows production companies love to squeeze every cent out of franchises, and a Weird Sisters album could see major cross-audience profit. It’s a long shot, to be sure, dependent on the musicians’ schedules and the terms of the settlement. But, if you believe in magic... -Ben Kaye Odds of Release: 100/1 The Postal Service's second album In 2003, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel flooded college radio airwaves and independent film soundtracks with the song, “Such Great Heights”. It wasn’t long before the duo, under the moniker The Postal Service, became an indie household name, and their album Give Up went gold. Eight years later, there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, movement on a follow-up. Word got out back in 2008 that five songs had been started in the duo’s collaboration, but nothing has yet come of those. Gibbard himself joked to Rolling Stone, “The second Postal Service album is threatening to become the Chinese Democracy of indie rock. It will come out eventually, or maybe it won’t.” Since then, the DCFC frontman has found himself working with scores of other artists, including his new wifey, and is now in the studio working on his main unit’s next record, with a tour surely following. Tamborello is currently recruiting collaborators for his next project, while also pumping out Dntel material. The most recent news comes from an interview Tamborello did with Spinner, in which he says, “I don’t think it’ll ever be officially over, but there’s a good chance it’ll never come together.” So while we shouldn’t expect this album anytime soon - if ever - one can find hope in the fact that Chinese Democracy, while taking almost twice as long, ultimately did find its way onto shelves. Will history (eventually) repeat itself? -Ben Kaye Odds of Release: 80/1 The Blue Nile's fifth album "Absolutely thrilled that you're back. Please don't disappear again." So reads the last comment on the enigmatic Glasgow, Scotland, outfit's MySpace, and that was made a year ago. Fans of The Blue Nile are patient folks. The band has released precisely four albums in the last 26 years with the last one, High, out in 2004. So, it should be almost time for another one, right? Let's try the official website, an exercise in such minimalism that these guys must be into serious Feng Shui. So, we register. "Brand new music and video downloads are coming soon to this page!" it proclaims. The exclamation mark is promising. Unfortunately, that's about it. You can download an exclusive instrumental version of "Stay Close" from the last album, sample the first three releases, and allegedly view a (it had to be) hidden YouTube channel. To add to the mystery, the link took me to an invite to download the Flash Player I already have. Let's just safely say that the next Blue Nile record may be out in the next 10 years. But going on past experience, at least it should be a good one. -Tony Hardy Odds of Release: 25/1 The Avalanches' second album Almost 10 years ago electronic Melbourne, AU collective The Avalanches released their debut album, Since I Left You, an alternative dance meets hip hop mash-up which has become regarded as one of the best albums of the 2000s. Since then, The Avalanches have left us with nothing but yearly hints and vague promises of a second album since the latter half of the aughts. In 2006, the band’s record label, Modular Records, released a statement joking that they were not releasing The Avalanches’ next album because it sounded rushed, which later caused the label to release a statement explaining that they were being facetious and the next album was, “everything we dared not hope for, and so much more. They’ve made the record of their lives basically.” In January of 2007, the band stated on their website that 40 tracks were being considered and described the record as, “so fuckin party you will die.” They were even more incredulous about a prospective release date, explaining that, “one day when you least expect it you'll wake up and the sample fairy will have left it under your pillow." However, 2008 saw the biggest let down of them all when Modular Records executive Steve Pav said he expected the album to be delivered to him on Christmas Day. He stated: "After many, many moons and several years that have passed by and several promises of getting a new album I've been assured that on Christmas Day they're going to deliver their new album to my little grotty hands." Whether or not he received the album, it doesn't matter... we didn't. Something odd happened in 2009, though. Fans kept hope alive when they found a photo-shopped version of the back cover to The Who’s The Who Sell Out on the band’s website. The cover had been remade by adding Clearasil spot remover and the words “clearing samples”, insinuating that the album had been completed and was in the process of clearing copyrights. Still, nothing. Then came 2010, by far the most promising year yet, when the band’s webmaster Clint announced in June, “I hear Ariel Pink is recording some guest vocals for it and once those are done, the album will be finished (!).” Five months later - that's November, everyone - the fan's cajoling continued when the band revamped their website, leaving a message that read, “Stay tuned in the coming months for special announcements.” A few days after their website was given a new look, the band re-tweeted a tweet from The Roots drummer Quest Love about their new album: “I need a new album by The Avalanches STAT...." Hey, J Fal can do wonders on his show, reuniting bands we never thought possible, could the magic have passed on to his pal? Let's hope. -Mark Sabb Odds of Release: 4/1 Outkast's seventh album Outkast’s future as a group has been in doubt ever since the release of 2006's Idlewild. Since then, both Big Boi and Andre 3000 have focused on their solo projects, leaving behind the name that made the celebrated duo popular. Most figured this was the end of everyone’s favorite rap duo, but the two artists assured everyone that they weren’t breaking up. According to Big Boi, a new Outkast project will occur after both he and Andre 3000 release their own records. Andre picked up on this in 2007, saying to MTV, “After we do those solo albums, we're planning on doing another Outkast album. I don't know how long that's gonna be; it could be two years.” Even though it’s now been four years, there haven’t been any major steps taken towards a seventh Outkast record. Since the band’s future depends on solo work first, any progress made in that field is progress towards an Outkast LP. Big Boi released Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty earlier this year. The album was supposed to feature “Royal Flush”, a single featuring a guest appearance by Andre. But the track was removed from the finished product due to legal complications stemming from Big Boi resigning from Jive Records. Andre’s own track, “I Do”, found its way online in August, proving that his solo album may be on the way soon as well. Hopefully, once Andre’s record drops, concrete info on the next Outkast project will begin to pop up. -Joe Marvilli Odds of Release: 3/1 My Bloody Valentine's third album Dublin's wicked shoegaze unit My Bloody Valentine could have owned the '90s. Their sophomore masterpiece, 1991's Loveless, sugarcoated plenty of critics' minds, enough that they'd eventually list the album as their favorite of the decade. The album catapulted them onto a major label (Island Records), where they received enough dough to build their own studio, somewhere in South London. Given that the landmark effort took two years to create, it wasn't surprising that principal songwriter Kevin Shields took his time on the follow-up. But, then came a meltdown and then 1996 arrived. Several band members went off to do their own thing, leaving Shields on his own to either record, jam with Dinosaur Jr. or Yo La Tengo, or disappear. He did all three, but he did remain productive. By the late '90s, according to David Stubbs, Shields would go on to deliver 60 hours worth of music to Island Records. Nothing came of this, however. In fact, years later, he would go on to trash the work, which Wikipedia reports as having been influenced by "jungle music." Shoot to 2007, the band reunites and jams once again, leading to a world tour and appearances at countless music festivals over the next two years. They even curate 2009's All Tomorrow's Parties 'Nightmare Before Christmas' festival. But, still there's no new album. In 2008, Shields tells The New York Times, "I realized that all that stuff I was doing in 1996 and 1997 was a lot better than I thought," insisting that the band would follow up Loveless and record again. It's 2011, nearly 20 years after Loveless, and we're still waiting...sadly. But, what better time than now? As Jakarta Globe reported earlier this month, "shoegaze is looking up." You should take advantage, Mr. Shields. -Michael Roffman Odds of Release: 2/1 The Heads' second album When the Talking Heads officially disbanded in 1991, the only malcontent was David Byrne. The rest of the band, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (better known as Tom Tom Club) and Modern Lovers guitarist Jerry Harrison wanted to carry on making dark, funky art rock. In 1996, they re-banded and re-branded themselves as "The Heads", and their first and only album, the scathingly titled No Talking Just Head, is one of the greatest forgotten albums of the '90s. The former Talking Heads were a musical force even without Byrne, but how do you replace as enigmatic a vocalist as David Byrne? An all-star collection of singers, a different one on every track, including Debbie Harry, INXS' Michael Hutchence, Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano, XTC's Andy Partridge, and Violent Femme's Gordon Gano. No Talking Just Head was drastically different from anything Talking Heads had ever done, and though the sound was different, the music was as rich and evocative as ever. What happened? What put No Talking Just Head outside everyone's radar? Why no follow-up? Well, apparently, "The Heads" and the sexually connotative "No Talking Just Head" hit too close to home for a certain Mr. David Byrne, and he sued. The lawsuit, plus the dissolution of the MCA label, killed the album's launch, and the act faded into obscurity. However, recently it was confirmed that an entire second album was recorded. In Ian Gilchrist's essay included with the Deluxe Edition of Tom Tom Club and Close to the Bone, he says: "Intent on embarking on a second Heads album, they joined forces with trumpeter and vocalist Jimmy Helms of Londonbeat, but by mid-1997 corporate restructuring at MCA spelled the end of The Heads (their second album remains unmixed), and Chris and Tina began writing songs for a new Tom Tom Club album instead." Aside from this quote, this album might as well not exist. Recently, I had a chance to chat with Mr. Frantz and, naturally, I had to ask about this album. "It's sitting on the shelf in our studio right now," said Frantz, "It's not finished, but all the basic tracks are there. It could be finished, if someone was enthusiastic enough to finance that." An entire second album by some of the greatest talents in alternative music is safe and sound, not rotting, forgotten in the back of a studio vault. I was relieved. Currently, Tom Tom Club are mobilizing on a new album, so if the long-lost Heads album is ever to see the light of day, it will still be a while. The good news is that Frantz and Weymouth own the second Heads album, unlike their incredible debut, which is at the whim of Universal to re-release. The fate of both the first and second album are in your hands: Let the demand be known! For more on the development of the original Heads album, the unreleased second album, and upcoming plans for Tom Tom Club, check out the interview.  -Cap Blackard Odds of Release: 1/1 Damien Rice's third album You'd think wounded Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice would have even more material than usual since losing lover/band member Lisa Hannigan after his last album 9. But while you couldn't turn on the television without hearing one of his weepy ballads early last decade, Rice has been largely absent since 2007. When Rice has turned up, it's been doing songs for Tibet documentaries, busking with Bono in his home country of Ireland, or doing an occasional one-off show. According to a rare interview in late 2009 with Irish magazine Hot Press, Rice had plans for a new album, but he was far more candid about other topics. This, coupled with the lukewarm reception to his sophomore effort, makes for a murky future for Rice. The murk, however, is alleviated by the fact that the man is 37 and has already gone the move-to-Tuscany-and-become-a-hermit route. He's a musician, and the question of his third album is less a question of whether it will happen than when he can pull his shit together and put something out. -Harry Painter Odds of Release: 1/1 Bruce Springsteen - Electric Nebraska Released in 1982, Nebraska was a collection of ten haunting, bare-bones demos that Bruce Springsteen recorded on a four-track before supposedly fleshing them out with the E Street Band. Most fans say there is no doubt that an electric version of the album exists, and those closest to Springsteen confirm the speculation. Jon Landau, who produced Springsteen records from 1975 to 1991, has been quoted as saying that “the right version came out,” and former E Street drummer Max Weinberg went as far as to say that “[we] actually did record all of Nebraska and it was killing.” He added that the plugged-in version was hard-edged, but that Springsteen still preferred the demos to what they caught on tape. “There is a full band Nebraska album,” Weinberg told Rolling Stone in June, “all of those songs are in the can somewhere.” The Boss just re-released Darkness on the Edge of Town and seems to be in a nostalgic mood, so while the earliest we may hear full-band takes on Nebraska cuts may be when the album turns 30 in 2012, we think this mythical beast will show itself sooner or later. -Ray Roa Odds of Release: 1/2 Weezer - Songs from the Black Hole Originally set to be Weezer's epic sophomore effort, Songs from the Black Hole, instead, has become an oddball online scavenger hunt. For awhile, earlier in the '00s to be exact, fans scoured everywhere for it. To date, it's still heavily discussed on message boards across the net. Okay, so what is it, exactly? Believe it or not, but Cuomo had other intentions before Pinkerton came to fruition. Sure, it's a classic and loved by everyone who adores alternative rock, but that's today. Around '94, Cuomo was penciling in ideas for an alt-rock space-opera, complete with a cast of characters and a motley crew of collaborators, which included faces like Rachel Haden and Joan Wasser. In 2007, Cuomo explained the story to Rolling Stone: "There's this crew - three guys and two girls and a mechanoid - that are on this mission in space to rescue somebody, or something. The whole thing was really an analogy for taking off, going out on the road and up the charts with a rock band, which is what was happening to me at the time I was writing this and feeling like I was lost in space." By now, we know this never happened. Pinkerton surfaced, stirred up a melting pot of fanatics and critics, and has now become (arguably) the group's strongest effort to date. As for the scrapped Songs... project, fans continue to have a ball with compiling demos and B-sides. What started with internet leaks in 2002 continued with piecing material off of other Weezer artifacts, including their '04 DVD, Video Capture Device, where fragments of "Superfriend" were taken. Over the years, Cuomo teased fans with lyrics, sheet music, and notes via his MySpace blog; that is, until he released his Alone recordings, which began in 2007. This gave fans a plethora of Songs... material, including "Longtime Sunshine", "Blast Off!", "Who You Callin' Bitch?", "Dude, We're Finally Landing", and "Superfriend". Today, between the Pinkerton re-issue and Death to False Metal, it's clear that Cuomo has no intention of keeping all this stuff in the vaults. With two track lists known to fans, both of which can be read here, it's hard to tell which really is the official one. (Then again, given the project's status, it's hard to make an argument for what is right or wrong to begin with.) Apparently three copies are known to exist, all on CD-R, and in possession of longtime band friend (and webmaster) Karl Koch and, naturally, Cuomo himself. Will we ever see it? Not sure it matters at this point, but you never know. Let's go with... hopefully. -Michael Roffman Odds of Release: 1/2 Green Day - Cigarettes and Valentines Green Day almost never created American Idiot. True story: In the summer of 2003, the Oakland trio were near completion with their follow up to 2000's Warning. Titled Cigarettes and Valentines, the album would have been more akin to the group's alternative punk sound, prevalent in 1997's Nimrod, and would have definitely been a more traditional album. What happened? All 20 tracks and master tapes were stolen from the studio and instead of re-recording them, or even using the demo tapes, which bassist Mike Dirnt stated "[weren't] the same as the originals," Green Day started from scratch. The rest is history. American Idiot arrived, the band returned to the top, yada, yada, yada. Nobody's crying over it, even the boys themselves, who called the theft, a "blessing in disguise"; however, fans continue to wonder, "Will we ever hear Cigarettes & Valentines?" The answer? Yes. Last year, the band performed the title track on its 21st Century Breakdown Tour, and it'll be included on the forthcoming live album, Awesome as Fuck, due out March 22nd. As for the rest? We don't know. Possibly? Some fans speculate that The Network's Money 2020 album contained a wealth of material originally from Cigarettes & Valentines, but Armstrong denied such accounts. Given the use of the title track, perhaps we'll see something bleed out eventually. One would hope their next album isn't a concept. Right? -Michael Roffman Odds of Release: 1/2 Zach de la Rocha's solo album The future is unwritten… at least that’s what my Rage Against the Machine poster says. For RATM’s vocalist and unofficial mascot, the preaching rapper Zack de la Rocha, audiences are still wondering what is in his musical future. Shortly after Rage’s demise, the former frontman released a song with DJ Shadow entitled “March of Death”, which received some positive press and clued us in on a potential solo album. Sources indicated that Trent Reznor and El-P were also involved in the molding of this album, but nothing ever came of it. There was never a release, never a music video, and never a song on the radio (not even satellite radio). This was back in 2002 when all the news of de la Rocha's highly anticipated debut was buzzing around magazines and the internet, and as time went on, various tracks of de la Rocha's solo work surfaced within the media. The track with Trent Reznor, "We Want It All", appeared on a Fahrenheit 9/11 compilation, and de la Rocha performed another solo track, "Sea of Dead Hands", a few years later. It was evident that he was composing new solo work, but no collective album was ever released. Since the solo tracks, Zack has reunited with Rage Against the Machine and even gone on to form a new group with drummer Jon Theodore called One Day as a Lion. There's no telling if Zack de la Rocha has any intention of releasing his solo debut, but then again, the future is unwritten. Until then, we wait... and pray for the new Rage album rumors to be true. -Ted Maider Odds of Release: 1/1 GZA - Liquid Swords 2: The Return of the Shadowboxer In terms of delays for a hip-hop album, this one is a drop in the pond compared to other releases. Even still, the original Liquid Swords was a masterpiece, heralded by even the Chicago Tribune as one of hip-hop's most impressive lyrical works. The hype, it seems, stems from the magic created between GZA and Wu-Tang brethren and producer RZA, who haven't worked together on a record since the first Liquid Swords. Originally announced in April 2010, the album was first scheduled to be dropped in early December via two posts on the official Wu-Tang Facebook. A later post revealed the album is now set to be released sometime in 2011. With a wide enough window, we're just hoping that the return is sooner rather than later. -Chris Coplan Odds of Release: 2/1 Dr. Dre - Detox If you ever asked yourself why we did this list, what's the genesis for all this frustration, we'd answer with one word: Detox. As arguably one of the most epic and pioneering hip-hop producers of all time, not to mention being a decent MC in his own right, Dr. Dre literally changed the game with his unique style, bringing the West Coast sound to the world at large. So, after releasing 2001 back in 1999, fans eagerly awaited Dre's third LP, which the Doc was more than happy to announce work on starting back in 2003. What's followed in the last eight years is enough delays, bump backs, and information overload to create a Wikipedia page with depth and length usually reserved for world wars or seasons of Battlestar Galactica. Recounting the last eight years would be almost impossible, but it's safe to say that, much like Christmas, the announcement and inevitable delay of this album has become a yearly tradition. However, in Dre's defense, there are a number of contributing factors that led to the album's gargantuan delay. For instance, in the interim, Dre has gotten involved with a number of business deals, including schlepping cognac and pushing his own brand of designer headphones. There's also the sheer amount of material created for the album; at one point, DJ Quik revealed that Dre had recorded some 400 songs for the LP, not to mention other tracks written by the likes of Dre mentee Slim da Mobster and Alex da Kid. The most recent word, though, is that the album will at last drop in 2011, which looks more promising with the release of two songs ("Kush" and "I Need a Doctor") from the record in late 2010. Even with the countless delays, interest among fans to finally hear the finished product is nothing short of a medical miracle. -Chris Coplan Odds of Release: 3/1]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/the-next-chinese-democracy-musics-most-overdue-albums/feed/ 26 End of Week Recap: January 10-16 http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/end-of-week-recap-january-10-16/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/end-of-week-recap-january-10-16/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/01/end-of-week-recap-10-16.jpg Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:01:20 +0000 Emma Ramsay http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=96565 I never know what to make of weeks like this. And when I say “weeks like this” I actually mean every week I write one of these recap posts. You never know what to expect in the music world or in life in general. I’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating.

Think about it. In a single week a hotly anticipated album can drop, festival rumors, no matter how legit or just plain entertaining, can begin to circulate, and a larger-than-life band can announce a string of tour dates. Then there the more unfortunate events. It seems like each loss we lose someone or something that means a great deal to us.

As usual, the list below illustrates this idea better than I ever could. It speaks for itself.

It’s only January, and we’ve already got a lot to look forward to. Stay tuned.

– Cluster 1 finally made its debut. Check out the first broadcast here.

– We published our list of the “50 Most Important Albums 2011″ to help you sort through the scores of new titles that will come out this year.

– The Strokes‘ fourth LP has an official release date.

– Panda Bear‘s Tomboy is slated for an April release.

– The first single from Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s fortchoming collaborative effort dropped. It’s called “H.A.M.” That’s reason enough to listen to it.

– Can’t wait for for PJ Harvey‘s new record to come out. Well, you’re in luck. Three tracks from Let England Shake surfaced this week.

– Broadcast vocalist Trish Keenan passed away.

– Aretha Franklin denied reports that she has pancreatic cancer.

– To commemorate the untimely death of Jay Reatard, the garage rocker’s Shattered Club said this week that it will offer unreleased material exclusively to its members.

– Bright Eyes announced a string of tour dates.

– Drake revealed a few collaboraters for his forthcoming record.

– Green Day will put out their interestingly titled second live LP soon.

– Remember when we told you that Daft Punk would be The Third Twin at a Spanish music festival? We were wrong.

– The Mountain Goats want to be on Law & Order: SVU, but they can’t do it without your help. Click here to find out what you can do.

– Lil Wayne did…um, okay, he did a lot of stuff. Too much to list in this post.

– Like Kanye, Snoop Dogg will offer fans tracks through a weekly online series, only his is called “Puff Puff Pass Tuesdays.”

– Eminem signed some big names to his record label.

– Basement Jaxx will score a sci-fi film.

– Vampire Weekend and The Black Keys “battled it out” for Stephen Colbert‘s Grammy vote.

– While we’re on the subject, Arcade Fire, Eminem, and Lady Gaga, among others, are set to perform at this year’s ceremony.

– Rothbury may or may not return this year. We’ll see.

– No, Coachella hasn’t revealed its lineup yet. In the meantime, get a load of these fake ones.

– Ask yourself, “At your first Bonnaroo, what was the first thing you witnessed that made you say ‘Wow, I’m actually here’”? Do it and you can win a fabulous prize in the latest CoS Giveaway!

– Be sure to help us win big at the Weblog Awards while you’re at it.

– Chris Coplan posted another thought-provoking edition of Nod Your Head.

– Cap Blackard interviewed Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club mainstay and all-around icon Chris Frantz.

– Karina Halle scored a great interview as well, with the ”‘architect’ of the turntable” himself, DJ Rob Swift.

– Michael Roffman offered his take on Weezer‘s recent nostalgia-heavy Chicago performance.

– The Decemberists are back with a follow-up to 2009′s The Hazards of Love. Read our official review, courtesy of Dan Caffrey, here.

– Did we make our best-of lists too early this time? Winston Robbins thinks so. Check out his review of Ghostface Killah‘s Apollo Kids, and then decide for yourself.

]]> Cluster 1 finally made its debut. Check out the first broadcast here. -- We published our list of the "50 Most Important Albums 2011" to help you sort through the scores of new titles that will come out this year. -- The Strokes' fourth LP has an official release date. -- Panda Bear's Tomboy is slated for an April release. -- The first single from Kanye West and Jay-Z's fortchoming collaborative effort dropped. It's called "H.A.M." That's reason enough to listen to it. -- Can't wait for for PJ Harvey's new record to come out. Well, you're in luck. Three tracks from Let England Shake surfaced this week. -- Broadcast vocalist Trish Keenan passed away. -- Aretha Franklin denied reports that she has pancreatic cancer. -- To commemorate the untimely death of Jay Reatard, the garage rocker's Shattered Club said this week that it will offer unreleased material exclusively to its members. -- Bright Eyes announced a string of tour dates. -- Drake revealed a few collaboraters for his forthcoming record. -- Green Day will put out their interestingly titled second live LP soon. -- Remember when we told you that Daft Punk would be The Third Twin at a Spanish music festival? We were wrong. -- The Mountain Goats want to be on Law & Order: SVU, but they can't do it without your help. Click here to find out what you can do. -- Lil Wayne did...um, okay, he did a lot of stuff. Too much to list in this post. -- Like Kanye, Snoop Dogg will offer fans tracks through a weekly online series, only his is called "Puff Puff Pass Tuesdays." -- Eminem signed some big names to his record label. -- Basement Jaxx will score a sci-fi film. -- Vampire Weekend and The Black Keys "battled it out" for Stephen Colbert's Grammy vote. -- While we're on the subject, Arcade Fire, Eminem, and Lady Gaga, among others, are set to perform at this year's ceremony. -- Rothbury may or may not return this year. We'll see. -- No, Coachella hasn't revealed its lineup yet. In the meantime, get a load of these fake ones. -- Ask yourself, "At your first Bonnaroo, what was the first thing you witnessed that made you say 'Wow, I'm actually here'"? Do it and you can win a fabulous prize in the latest CoS Giveaway! -- Be sure to help us win big at the Weblog Awards while you're at it. -- Chris Coplan posted another thought-provoking edition of Nod Your Head. -- Cap Blackard interviewed Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club mainstay and all-around icon Chris Frantz. -- Karina Halle scored a great interview as well, with the "'architect' of the turntable" himself, DJ Rob Swift. -- Michael Roffman offered his take on Weezer's recent nostalgia-heavy Chicago performance. -- The Decemberists are back with a follow-up to 2009's The Hazards of Love. Read our official review, courtesy of Dan Caffrey, here. -- Did we make our best-of lists too early this time? Winston Robbins thinks so. Check out his review of Ghostface Killah's Apollo Kids, and then decide for yourself.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/end-of-week-recap-january-10-16/feed/ 0 Interview: Chris Frantz (of Talking Heads & Tom Tom Club) http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/interview-chris-franz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/interview-chris-franz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtomclub-thumb.jpg Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:00:28 +0000 Cap Blackard http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=94949 Thirty years ago the world first grooved to one of the most legendary dance tracks of ‘em all, “Genius of Love”. The band behind the genius, founding Talking Heads members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, have been performing and recording as Tom Tom Club for the past three decades, bringing the funk wherever they may go. However, for the last 10 years, things have been relatively quiet in the Clubhouse…That’s about to change big time.

Tom Tom Club are celebrating their 30th anniversary in style. They are kicking the festivities off this Tuesday with their first major television appearance since the ’80s on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, followed the next night by their return to Irving Plaza, the venue that, as Talking Heads, they were first to christen in the name of rock ‘n’ roll. What’s more, there are signs of life in their newly remodeled studio, a recently released live and remix compilation, and talks of a spring and summer festival tour. CoS reporter Cap Blackard had a chance to chat with legendary beatsmith Chris Frantz as he dusted off his rhythm section for the big return…

It’s been 10 years since the last studio album…What’s the last decade been like for you?

tomtom-q1.mp3

Do you guys have anything special planned for the Irving Plaza show?

tomtom-q2.mp3

Are you dusting off any tracks that you haven’t played in a while?

tomtom-q3.mp3

What’s the scope of your new tour going to be?

tomtom-q4.mp3

It’s really exciting to hear that there’s some new music on the way… What else is in the works?

tomtom-q5.mp3

Tina once said that you formed Tom Tom Club just to put food on the table. What was life like back in 1981?

tomtom-q6.mp3

The influence of “Genius of Love” is always talked about and all the samples that have been derived from it. What’s your favorite?

tomtom-q7.mp3

“Genius of Love” always gets the spotlight, but do you have a personal favorite Tom Tom Club track?

tomtom-q8.mp3

Tom Tom Club’s second album, Close to the Bone, didn’t get a reissue or CD release until recently with the Deluxe Edition of your first album. What took so long?

tomtom-q9.mp3

I’d like to talk a bit about The Heads.  How did the project get rolling?

tomtom-q10.mp3

In Ian Gilchrist’s essay included in the Deluxe Edition of Tom Tom Club, he mentioned that there was an entire second Heads album that was recorded but never released…

tomtom-q11.mp3

Unlike the first Heads album, the second album had one vocalist, Jimmy Helms of Londonbeat. What kind of role did he take on as a vocalist?

tomtom-q12.mp3

Recently, Peter Gabriel recorded the Talking Heads track “Listening Wind” as part of his Scratch My Back / And I’ll Scratch Yours project.  When he announced that the original artists were going to perform covers of his tracks, David Byrne was the only Talking Heads member who participated. Did he contact the rest of the band?

tomtom-q13.mp3

This year you started doing a radio program, Chris Frantz The Talking Head, on WPKN in Bridgeport. What got you started doing a radio show?

tomtom-q14.mp3

You and Tina are an iconic couple in the music world. What’s it like having both a life partner and a bandmate?

tomtom-q15.mp3

When did funk first find its way into your life?

tomtom-q16.mp3

When you’re in the zone, playing live or in the studio, what sort of things go on in your head?

tomtom-q17.mp3

What are some essential albums you’d recommend to a young person to learn about funk?

tomtom-q18.mp3

Tom Tom Club will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night, followed by their landmark return to Irving Plaza this Wednesday.

]]> Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, followed the next night by their return to Irving Plaza, the venue that, as Talking Heads, they were first to christen in the name of rock 'n' roll. What's more, there are signs of life in their newly remodeled studio, a recently released live and remix compilation, and talks of a spring and summer festival tour. CoS reporter Cap Blackard had a chance to chat with legendary beatsmith Chris Frantz as he dusted off his rhythm section for the big return... It's been 10 years since the last studio album...What's the last decade been like for you? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q1.mp3] Do you guys have anything special planned for the Irving Plaza show? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q2.mp3] Are you dusting off any tracks that you haven't played in a while? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q3.mp3] What's the scope of your new tour going to be? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q4.mp3] It's really exciting to hear that there's some new music on the way... What else is in the works? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q5.mp3] Tina once said that you formed Tom Tom Club just to put food on the table. What was life like back in 1981? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q6.mp3] The influence of "Genius of Love" is always talked about and all the samples that have been derived from it. What's your favorite? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q7.mp3] "Genius of Love" always gets the spotlight, but do you have a personal favorite Tom Tom Club track? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q8.mp3] Tom Tom Club's second album, Close to the Bone, didn't get a reissue or CD release until recently with the Deluxe Edition of your first album. What took so long? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q9.mp3] I'd like to talk a bit about The Heads.  How did the project get rolling? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q10.mp3] In Ian Gilchrist's essay included in the Deluxe Edition of Tom Tom Club, he mentioned that there was an entire second Heads album that was recorded but never released... [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q11.mp3] Unlike the first Heads album, the second album had one vocalist, Jimmy Helms of Londonbeat. What kind of role did he take on as a vocalist? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q12.mp3] Recently, Peter Gabriel recorded the Talking Heads track "Listening Wind" as part of his Scratch My Back / And I'll Scratch Yours project.  When he announced that the original artists were going to perform covers of his tracks, David Byrne was the only Talking Heads member who participated. Did he contact the rest of the band? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q13.mp3] This year you started doing a radio program, Chris Frantz The Talking Head, on WPKN in Bridgeport. What got you started doing a radio show? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q14.mp3] You and Tina are an iconic couple in the music world. What's it like having both a life partner and a bandmate? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q15.mp3] When did funk first find its way into your life? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q16.mp3] When you're in the zone, playing live or in the studio, what sort of things go on in your head? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q17.mp3] What are some essential albums you'd recommend to a young person to learn about funk? [audio:http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/tomtom-q18.mp3] Tom Tom Club will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night, followed by their landmark return to Irving Plaza this Wednesday.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/01/interview-chris-franz-of-talking-heads-tom-tom-club/feed/ 0 Rock History 101: Talking Heads – “Life During Wartime” http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/rock-history-101-talking-heads-life-during-wartime/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/rock-history-101-talking-heads-life-during-wartime/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Life_During_Wartime_Live_Talking_Heads.jpg Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:00:14 +0000 E.N. May http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=39389 Do you believe in the end of the world? Neither did David Byrne, but he knew the rest of the country was holding on tight, waiting for what we were told was inevitable. Nothing seemed right in 1979. Nixon had just been pardoned after setting the gold standard for a Presidential scandal, and Jimmy Carter was left to pick up the mess that Gerald Ford sat on. Poor, poor Jimmy. We were slowly getting over our fear of Commies and giant mushroom clouds, while Vietnam was still a fresh enough wound, giving way to those obvious repercussions. In short, we were a mess and just couldn’t catch a break.

Byrne felt stuck in the middle, both as a rising artist, and as a witness to our country’s fragility. At that time, he was living in the New York neighborhood Alphabet City, watching his surroundings struggle with crime, drugs, and poverty. While New York seemed to be crumbling, his band was doing quite the opposite. During the writing of their second record with Brian Eno, Talking Heads were starting to ride high off the building success from their first few singles. Fear of Music would be their third record and only took a single month to record. With every piece of music released, though, the band gained more and more momentum, positioning them to break out from the New York underground and make their name as a leader in the still fresh New Wave scene that they had helped invent.

Fear houses some of the Talking Heads’ best work, an absolutely solid record from start to finish. Boasting songs like “Drugs” and “Cities”, it was far ahead of its time, but there would be one clever track in particular that would do the job of catapulting them out of their grimy neighborhood and onto the world stage.

For “Life During Wartime”, one of the song’s biggest influences came from a spot just down the block of Byrne’s apartment. Tompkins Square Park, now a welcoming place for Alphabet City residents, used to be an epicenter for many of the city’s problems and served more as a homeless camp and drug den than a sunny spot to lay out and picnic. As Byrne looked out his window, he imagined the world in a worst case scenario, wondering what he would do if the time came to get out of Dodge, so to speak.

Coupled with the music, though, “Wartime” becomes a social jab at the cold war generation, playing on their fear of the foreign or domestic attacks, while throwing them catchy hooks. Like a New Wave Red Dawn, it’s based on the ideas of what could happen if that proverbial red button was ever pushed and how people would react. The track is given from the perspective of a group of people (or maybe just two) stuck in the middle of the fake attack as they plot their retaliation against their aggressors:

Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons
packed up and ready to go
Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway
a place where nobody knows
The sound of gunfire, off in the distance
I’m getting used to it now
Lived in a brownstone, lived in the ghetto
I’ve lived all over this town

The movement sounds guerilla in nature as they “sleep in the day time…work in the nighttime”, hack phone lines and dress in disguises to blend in.  Other city uprisings are also mentioned, but only as hearsay from the protagonist, as they cope with feelings of isolation: “Can’t write a letter, can’t send a postcard, I can’t write nothing at all”. In the end, it was all about the delivery of those lines, and once that chorus hit, those words became inescapable, and are still so to this day.

This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco
this ain’t no fooling around
This ain’t no Mudd Club, or C. B. G. B.
I ain’t got time for that now

What started as a satire, ended up turning into the New Wave anthem of the early 80’s. “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco” was the rallying cry being spray painted and chanted all over NYC. Name-dropping the scene’s most known spots in one of the catchiest choruses turned out to be a hit-making strategy. That, coupled with themes of alienation, created the perfect torch for which to burn the establishment. The track got a serious boost thanks to the re-envisioning it received in the Heads’ iconic Stop Making Sense, and in the following year, Fear scored them their first gold record.

After all that divulgence of “what it all means,” it’s still funny to talk about a song like this in such serious ways. Even with such a fantastically dark theme, musically it’s genius, and, in 2010, makes just as much sense lyrically as it did 30 years ago. Its clever mix of punk and afro beats still holds a grip on our airwaves, and, for those throwing 80’s parties, the dance floor as well. I can’t help but want to move when it comes on, and, when that chorus hits, I’ll sing along too.

]]> Fear of Music would be their third record and only took a single month to record. With every piece of music released, though, the band gained more and more momentum, positioning them to break out from the New York underground and make their name as a leader in the still fresh New Wave scene that they had helped invent. Fear houses some of the Talking Heads' best work, an absolutely solid record from start to finish. Boasting songs like “Drugs” and “Cities”, it was far ahead of its time, but there would be one clever track in particular that would do the job of catapulting them out of their grimy neighborhood and onto the world stage. For “Life During Wartime”, one of the song's biggest influences came from a spot just down the block of Byrne’s apartment. Tompkins Square Park, now a welcoming place for Alphabet City residents, used to be an epicenter for many of the city's problems and served more as a homeless camp and drug den than a sunny spot to lay out and picnic. As Byrne looked out his window, he imagined the world in a worst case scenario, wondering what he would do if the time came to get out of Dodge, so to speak. Coupled with the music, though, “Wartime” becomes a social jab at the cold war generation, playing on their fear of the foreign or domestic attacks, while throwing them catchy hooks. Like a New Wave Red Dawn, it’s based on the ideas of what could happen if that proverbial red button was ever pushed and how people would react. The track is given from the perspective of a group of people (or maybe just two) stuck in the middle of the fake attack as they plot their retaliation against their aggressors: Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons packed up and ready to go Heard of some gravesites, out by the highway a place where nobody knows The sound of gunfire, off in the distance I'm getting used to it now Lived in a brownstone, lived in the ghetto I've lived all over this town The movement sounds guerilla in nature as they “sleep in the day time…work in the nighttime”, hack phone lines and dress in disguises to blend in.  Other city uprisings are also mentioned, but only as hearsay from the protagonist, as they cope with feelings of isolation: “Can't write a letter, can't send a postcard, I can't write nothing at all”. In the end, it was all about the delivery of those lines, and once that chorus hit, those words became inescapable, and are still so to this day. This ain't no party, this ain't no disco this ain't no fooling around This ain't no Mudd Club, or C. B. G. B. I ain't got time for that now What started as a satire, ended up turning into the New Wave anthem of the early 80’s. “This ain't no party, this ain't no disco” was the rallying cry being spray painted and chanted all over NYC. Name-dropping the scene's most known spots in one of the catchiest choruses turned out to be a hit-making strategy. That, coupled with themes of alienation, created the perfect torch for which to burn the establishment. The track got a serious boost thanks to the re-envisioning it received in the Heads' iconic Stop Making Sense, and in the following year, Fear scored them their first gold record. After all that divulgence of "what it all means," it’s still funny to talk about a song like this in such serious ways. Even with such a fantastically dark theme, musically it’s genius, and, in 2010, makes just as much sense lyrically as it did 30 years ago. Its clever mix of punk and afro beats still holds a grip on our airwaves, and, for those throwing 80’s parties, the dance floor as well. I can’t help but want to move when it comes on, and, when that chorus hits, I’ll sing along too. [youtube QXgMhnI3QOI]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/07/rock-history-101-talking-heads-life-during-wartime/feed/ 3 CoS End of Week Recap: May 24-29 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/cos-end-of-week-recap-may-24-29/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/cos-end-of-week-recap-may-24-29/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/endofweek527.jpg Fri, 28 May 2010 21:00:17 +0000 Emma Ramsay http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=43952 I could go on about how music is like a mixed bag. I could lecture you about how within a given week lots of positive things can happen. Bands can reunite. They can announce tour dates. They can release new albums. Of course, with these come unfortunate happenings. Bands can break up. They can postpone tour dates or album releases. They might even cancel them all together.

But what would be the point of that? Let’s face it: these are given facts.

So before you head out for the holidays, feel free to catch up on this “mixed bag” of a week. Below you’ll find a listing of the most pivotal as well inane news items in music. Think of it as a source of ice breakers for all of those barbecues and beach parties that you’ll be attending within the next few days.

– U2 canceled its North American tour due to Bono’s recent back surgery, but dates will be rescheduled for 2011. The group also cancelled its appearance at the Glastonbury Music Festival next month. Organizers enlisted Gorillaz as a replacement.

– The Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA begins this weekend. Never been anywhere near the  festival grounds? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

– In other festival news, Rock the Bells dropped its initial 2010 lineup this week. And four headliners for Bumbershoot leaked. Look for an official announcement in early June.

– David Byrne filed a $1 million dollar suit against Florida governor and senate hopeful Charlie Crist after he used the Talking Heads single “Road to Nowhere” in a campaign advertisement.

– Paul McCartney is to receive the Library Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The televised awards ceremony will feature performances by many special guests, including Jack White and Dave Grohl.

– New York state legislators are reinstating an anti-scalping law in the wake of the Live Nation Entertainment-Ticketmaster merger.

– Apple’s selling practices became the subject of an antitrust inquiry.

– Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha unveiled The Sound Strike, a boycott against Arizona’s controversial immigration bill.

– Ra Ra Riot, Röyksopp, and Grinderman promised new albums in the coming months.

– As if Arcade Fire hasn’t been getting enough press lately, two new songs are available for listening. The group also said something about an album release this summer.

– Did I mention the Arcade Fire-inspired high school musical?

– A new Kanye West song leaked.

– Slipknot bassist Paul Dedrick Gray passed away at age 38.

– Nick Freed reviewed The ArchAndroid,  Janelle Monáe’s audacious, genre-bending effort. He also shared his thoughts about Jamie Lidell’s Compass.

– The Dead Weather released its followup to last year’s Horehound. See what Chris Coplan had to say about it.

– Luke Steele, frontman for Australian dance outfit Empire of the Sun, confessed his love for hi-fi in an interview with Cap Blackard.

– What better way to end than with a shameless plug: CoS seeks online sales associates.

]]> The ArchAndroid,  Janelle Monáe’s audacious, genre-bending effort. He also shared his thoughts about Jamie Lidell’s Compass. -- The Dead Weather released its followup to last year’s Horehound. See what Chris Coplan had to say about it. -- Luke Steele, frontman for Australian dance outfit Empire of the Sun, confessed his love for hi-fi in an interview with Cap Blackard. -- What better way to end than with a shameless plug: CoS seeks online sales associates.]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/cos-end-of-week-recap-may-24-29/feed/ 0 David Byrne sues Florida governor over illegal use of Talking Heads song http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/david-byrne-sues-florida-governor-over-illegal-use-of-talking-heads-song/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/david-byrne-sues-florida-governor-over-illegal-use-of-talking-heads-song/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/05/byrne.jpg Mon, 24 May 2010 21:56:42 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=43319 A word of advice to politicians: 1.) The Internet exists and people find out about shit even before it actually happens and 2.) if you’re going to steal music from someone, it’s probably not a good idea to do so from someone as big as former Talking heads frontman David Byrne.

Case in point today’s news that Byrne has filed a lawsuit against Florida governor and current senate candidate Charlie Crist for the unauthorized use of the Talking Heads’ 1985 single “Road to Nowhere” in a recent political ad.

According to Billboard, Byrne’s attorney Lawrence Iser says that the Crist campaign did not obtain either a synchronization license required to use Byrne’s composition or a master use license for the Talking Heads’ recording. The ad also violates the Lanham Act of the U.S. Trade Statue, implying a false endorsement of Crist by Byrne.

As a result, Byrne is currently seeking $1 million in damages — the amount the legendary musician typical receives for use of his songs in commercials.

The news follows a similar lawsuit filed by Jackson Browne against John McCain over illegal use of his song “Running on Empty”  during his 2008 Presidential run. What’s more, the Steve Miller Band recently had its song “Take the Money and Run” used without permission by Marco Rubio, who, ironically enough, is running against Crist for a seat in the United States Senate.

]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/05/david-byrne-sues-florida-governor-over-illegal-use-of-talking-heads-song/feed/ 0 More movie soundtracks tap the likes of Grizzly Bear, Deer Tick, The Replacements, and more http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/more-movie-soundtracks-tap-the-likes-of-grizzly-bear-deer-tick-the-replacements-and-more/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/more-movie-soundtracks-tap-the-likes-of-grizzly-bear-deer-tick-the-replacements-and-more/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:00:50 +0000 Chris Coplan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=25562 In recent months, Hollywood has gotten smart to the power of good music. Whether it’s the devastatingly cool New Moon Soundtrack or the pop-punk heavy Almost Alice, the folks in charge of making the movies we watch understand the appeal of everyone from Death Cab for Cutie to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and others. Now, two more movies have attempted to harness the aforementioned might of indie, pop, hip-hop, Robert Smith and beyond with soundtrack choices of some of our favorite musical acts.

Via The Playlist, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s Easier With Practice is a film about a bored author who starts a relationship over the phone with a strange girl. While not the most inherently thrilling plot, the likes of Grizzly Bear (who also scored a film for Phillip Seymour Hoffman), The Spinto Band, Deer Tick, Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, and The Watson Twins (plus many more artists that you can find here) should help set the pace of a potentially interesting tale of boy-meets-girl. Plus, it’s rated NC-17, so even better! While no tracklist has been announced, you can expect the pre-existing Watson Twins track “Darlin’ Song” to appear. The movie is available on DVD April 6th.

But small festival darlings with limited releases, movies about sparkly vampires, and flicks rubber stamped for rampant drug use by Tim Burton aren’t the only films mining the indie world. Hot Tub Time Machine, the film which sports a plot that is exactly as it sounds, will feature the likes of Public Enemy (who re-recorded 1988′s “Louder Than a Bomb”), The Replacements, and Echo & The Bunnymen. And since the film’s set in 1986, you’ll also hear plenty of Talking Heads, INXS, Men Without Hats, and The English Beat. But best of all, Craig Robinson will make the ladies (and many of the men) swoon with renditions of Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” and the Black Eyed Peas burner “Let’s Get It Started”. This film hits theaters March 26th with the tracklist below.

If Darryl Philbin from The Office can’t win you over, none of these soundtracks ever will.

Hot Tub Time Machine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Tracklist:
01. Public Enemy – Louder Than A Bomb (Back Into Time)
02. Scritti Politti – Perfect Way
03. Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
04. INXS – What You Need
05. David Bowie – Modern Love
06. The Replacements – I Will Dare
07. Salt ‘N Pepa -”Push It
08. Echo & The Bunnymen – Bring On The Dancing Horses
09. The English Beat – Save It For Later
10. Spandau Ballet – True
11. Craig Robinson – Jessie’s Girl
12. New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
13. Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
14. Mötley Crüe – Home Sweet Home
15. Craig Robinson – Let’s Get It Started

]]> New Moon Soundtrack or the pop-punk heavy Almost Alice, the folks in charge of making the movies we watch understand the appeal of everyone from Death Cab for Cutie to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and others. Now, two more movies have attempted to harness the aforementioned might of indie, pop, hip-hop, Robert Smith and beyond with soundtrack choices of some of our favorite musical acts. Via The Playlist, Kyle Patrick Alvarez's Easier With Practice is a film about a bored author who starts a relationship over the phone with a strange girl. While not the most inherently thrilling plot, the likes of Grizzly Bear (who also scored a film for Phillip Seymour Hoffman), The Spinto Band, Deer Tick, Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, and The Watson Twins (plus many more artists that you can find here) should help set the pace of a potentially interesting tale of boy-meets-girl. Plus, it's rated NC-17, so even better! While no tracklist has been announced, you can expect the pre-existing Watson Twins track "Darlin' Song" to appear. The movie is available on DVD April 6th. But small festival darlings with limited releases, movies about sparkly vampires, and flicks rubber stamped for rampant drug use by Tim Burton aren't the only films mining the indie world. Hot Tub Time Machine, the film which sports a plot that is exactly as it sounds, will feature the likes of Public Enemy (who re-recorded 1988's "Louder Than a Bomb"), The Replacements, and Echo & The Bunnymen. And since the film's set in 1986, you'll also hear plenty of Talking Heads, INXS, Men Without Hats, and The English Beat. But best of all, Craig Robinson will make the ladies (and many of the men) swoon with renditions of Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" and the Black Eyed Peas burner "Let's Get It Started". This film hits theaters March 26th with the tracklist below. If Darryl Philbin from The Office can't win you over, none of these soundtracks ever will. Hot Tub Time Machine: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Tracklist: 01. Public Enemy - Louder Than A Bomb (Back Into Time) 02. Scritti Politti - Perfect Way 03. Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance 04. INXS - What You Need 05. David Bowie - Modern Love 06. The Replacements - I Will Dare 07. Salt 'N Pepa -"Push It 08. Echo & The Bunnymen - Bring On The Dancing Horses 09. The English Beat - Save It For Later 10. Spandau Ballet - True 11. Craig Robinson - Jessie's Girl 12. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle 13. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime 14. Mötley Crüe - Home Sweet Home 15. Craig Robinson - Let's Get It Started]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/02/more-movie-soundtracks-tap-the-likes-of-grizzly-bear-deer-tick-the-replacements-and-more/feed/ 3 Peter Gabriel confirms all-star covers album tracklist http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/11/peter-gabriel-confirms-all-star-covers-album-tracklist/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/11/peter-gabriel-confirms-all-star-covers-album-tracklist/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:30:22 +0000 Chris Coplan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=21754 Remember when we told you about that Peter Gabriel project where he’d be doing cover songs of bands like Radiohead and Bon Iver? Of course you do, and you’ve spent the entire time since then waiting with bated breath to find out some more details. Well, we’re happy to pass those along, via our friends and yours at NME and Pitchfork. And, oh boy, is this going to be a doozy.

The album, Scratch My Back, is being dubbed a “song-swap project”. What that means is that Gabriel will tackle those aforementioned acts plus a few more, including David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor, Lou Reed, and The Talking Heads. Shockingly enough, however, Vampire Weekend did not make the cut.

So, what’s the catch? Rather than straight covers, the 12-track album is going to be orchestral versions of this cornucopia of musical goodness.

“The songs are not simply covers,” the album’s composer John Metcalfe told the BBC. “They are major reinterpretations of some famous stuff. It’s quite radical …”

But wait, there’s more. According to The Guardian, Scratch My Back is the first  release in what will become a “song-swap” project, where, ultimately, the singer and a host of “extremely legendary artists” will cover each other’s material. So, sometime after Scratch My Back‘s January 25th release date, expect another album — where some of the artists covered on Gabriel’s album turn the table and cover his material. Exciting to say the least.

Scratch My Back is out January 25th, 2010.

Scratch My Back tracklist:
01. Heroes (David Bowie cover)
02. The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon cover)
03. Mirrorball (Elbow cover)
04. Flume (Bon Iver cover)
05. Listening Wind (Talking Heads cover)
06. The Power of the Heart (Lou Reed cover)
07. My Body Is a Cage (Arcade Fire cover)
08. The Book of Love (Magnetic Fields cover)
09. I Think It’s Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman cover)
10. Après Moi (Regina Spektor cover)
11. Philadelphia (Neil Young cover)
12. Street Spirit (Radiohead cover)

]]> Scratch My Back, is being dubbed a "song-swap project". What that means is that Gabriel will tackle those aforementioned acts plus a few more, including David Bowie, Arcade Fire, Regina Spektor, Lou Reed, and The Talking Heads. Shockingly enough, however, Vampire Weekend did not make the cut. So, what's the catch? Rather than straight covers, the 12-track album is going to be orchestral versions of this cornucopia of musical goodness. "The songs are not simply covers," the album's composer John Metcalfe told the BBC. "They are major reinterpretations of some famous stuff. It's quite radical ..." But wait, there's more. According to The Guardian, Scratch My Back is the first  release in what will become a "song-swap" project, where, ultimately, the singer and a host of "extremely legendary artists" will cover each other's material. So, sometime after Scratch My Back's January 25th release date, expect another album -- where some of the artists covered on Gabriel's album turn the table and cover his material. Exciting to say the least. Scratch My Back is out January 25th, 2010. Scratch My Back tracklist: 01. Heroes (David Bowie cover) 02. The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon cover) 03. Mirrorball (Elbow cover) 04. Flume (Bon Iver cover) 05. Listening Wind (Talking Heads cover) 06. The Power of the Heart (Lou Reed cover) 07. My Body Is a Cage (Arcade Fire cover) 08. The Book of Love (Magnetic Fields cover) 09. I Think It's Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman cover) 10. Après Moi (Regina Spektor cover) 11. Philadelphia (Neil Young cover) 12. Street Spirit (Radiohead cover)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/11/peter-gabriel-confirms-all-star-covers-album-tracklist/feed/ 6 Break Yo’ TV: The Cardigans and Tom Jones – “Burning Down the House” http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/09/break-yo-tv-the-cardigans-and-tom-jones-burning-down-the-house/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/09/break-yo-tv-the-cardigans-and-tom-jones-burning-down-the-house/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:00:08 +0000 Adam Kivel http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=18879 Tom Jones. The Cardigans. Creepy, metallic dancing ladies. The Talking Heads.

As the song goes, one of these things is not like the other things (one of these things just doesn’t belong).  If you guessed The Cardigans, try again. Give up? The Talking Heads aren’t completely lame! That’s the answer. But, that didn’t keep Jones and the adorable Swedish popsters from combining these ideas into the  most depressing thing you’ll see today (probably).

To see how we got to this horrible place, let’s first take a look at Mr. Jones. The Welsh singer, best known for the cheesy, yet awkwardly cute, “It’s Not Unusual”, the verging on creepy “What’s New, Pussycat?” (both released in 1965, when Jones was 25) and the undoubtedly creepy “Sex Bomb”. This seems like a semi-logical progression. Cutesy, a little weird, full blown creep. But, to make matters worse, “Sex Bomb” wasn’t released until 1999, revealing Jones a larger, oranger, beard-ier 59-year-old.

The other half of the musical equation here is Jönköping’s The Cardigans. Finding immediate success in their home-nation (first records Emmerdale and Life went gold) was easy. It took the inclusion of the single “Lovefool” on the Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack to get them international cred, but, the thing is as ubiquitous and ear-wormy as it gets (if the “Love me, love me, say that you love me” chorus isn’t stuck in your head yet, you may not have ears).

Now, for the middle ground: after years of obscurity, Jones aimed his comeback for September 16, 1999, with the release of Reload, an album full of covers (featuring celebrity backing bands) with a few new tunes sprinkled in. Take, for instance, the Three Dog Night song “Mama Told Me Not To Come” here performed with Stereophonics, or the late 60′s gem “Little Green Bag” backed by Barenaked Ladies. But the real head-smashing-against-the-wall masterpiece is David Byrne’s excellent “Burning Down the House”.

And then, my friends, they decided to make a music video. It opens with three disparate rooms. The first, black with white +s on every imaginable surface, filled with the aforementioned silver ladies, contorting themselves in weird formations. Next, the room’s color scheme is reversed, but without anyone there. And the so-obviously-Swedish drummer sits at his kit, the room now orange.

Various permutations of orange, white and black rooms spin around, replacing each other, as Jones, Cardigans vocalist Nina Persson and the robo-ladies funk-dance and the camera spins. It’s almost impossible to tell which of the subjects is most lifeless. Extreme closeup shots of Tom Jones giant, orange face abound. The robots’ moves aren’t even very interesting; there are some weird spins and kicks, to be sure, but what the hell are they doing?

The song is absolutely butchered, to boot. The clanging, jumpy instrumentation of the original is replaced with a modicum of ultra-smooth, sleazy sounds. Where once there was David Byrne’s paranoiac yelp now is Tom Jones staring directly at the camera, doing his best croon, smirking throughout the entire video. And Persson’s odd Nordic intonations don’t quite fit the bill, either.

At times, The Cardigans and Jones are shown in their own separate monochromatic rooms, facing each other directly, Jones with a harem of lady-robot protectors, seemingly in an eternal showdown for the title of worst version of “Burning Down the House”. Then, in other cuts, the two are together, singing harmoniously, winking at each other. It’s pure train wreck, nothing more, nothing less; certainly painful enough for one viewing, maybe two. Definitely not three.

Okay, maybe three.


]]> Emmerdale and Life went gold) was easy. It took the inclusion of the single "Lovefool" on the Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack to get them international cred, but, the thing is as ubiquitous and ear-wormy as it gets (if the "Love me, love me, say that you love me" chorus isn't stuck in your head yet, you may not have ears). Now, for the middle ground: after years of obscurity, Jones aimed his comeback for September 16, 1999, with the release of Reload, an album full of covers (featuring celebrity backing bands) with a few new tunes sprinkled in. Take, for instance, the Three Dog Night song "Mama Told Me Not To Come" here performed with Stereophonics, or the late 60's gem "Little Green Bag" backed by Barenaked Ladies. But the real head-smashing-against-the-wall masterpiece is David Byrne's excellent "Burning Down the House". And then, my friends, they decided to make a music video. It opens with three disparate rooms. The first, black with white +s on every imaginable surface, filled with the aforementioned silver ladies, contorting themselves in weird formations. Next, the room's color scheme is reversed, but without anyone there. And the so-obviously-Swedish drummer sits at his kit, the room now orange. Various permutations of orange, white and black rooms spin around, replacing each other, as Jones, Cardigans vocalist Nina Persson and the robo-ladies funk-dance and the camera spins. It's almost impossible to tell which of the subjects is most lifeless. Extreme closeup shots of Tom Jones giant, orange face abound. The robots' moves aren't even very interesting; there are some weird spins and kicks, to be sure, but what the hell are they doing? The song is absolutely butchered, to boot. The clanging, jumpy instrumentation of the original is replaced with a modicum of ultra-smooth, sleazy sounds. Where once there was David Byrne's paranoiac yelp now is Tom Jones staring directly at the camera, doing his best croon, smirking throughout the entire video. And Persson's odd Nordic intonations don't quite fit the bill, either. At times, The Cardigans and Jones are shown in their own separate monochromatic rooms, facing each other directly, Jones with a harem of lady-robot protectors, seemingly in an eternal showdown for the title of worst version of "Burning Down the House". Then, in other cuts, the two are together, singing harmoniously, winking at each other. It's pure train wreck, nothing more, nothing less; certainly painful enough for one viewing, maybe two. Definitely not three. Okay, maybe three. [youtube 4dlOlx1Mwu0] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/09/break-yo-tv-the-cardigans-and-tom-jones-burning-down-the-house/feed/ 6 Warner Records unveils 50th anniversary cover album http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/warner-records-unveils-50th-anniversary-cover-album/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/warner-records-unveils-50th-anniversary-cover-album/#comments Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:45:41 +0000 David Buchanan http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=12664 It has apparently now been fifty years since actor Tab Hunter (Damn Yankees, The Sea Chase) released his #1 single “Young Love” for a company called Dot Records. Around that time, Warner Bros. was peeved because all the hype surround this song and not Hunter’s recent film under the Warner flag. As a response, Warner Bros. started a fledgling record department in which to sponsor musical artists.

Now, Warner Bros. Records might be over the hill but damned if they will be buried down deep inside it. As a result of this anniversary, Covered, A Revolution In Sound is scheduled for release on March 10th. They managed to rope in quite the listing for artists to cover hit songs in the Warner catalog. With prog-metal alchemists Mastodon taking ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid” for a heavier twist, modern punkers Against Me! providing their soft side to “Here Comes A Regular” by The Replacements and even managing Neil Young’s “Like A Hurricane” with the vocals of comedian Adam Sandler as what might be the most unexpected inclusions.

There are in fact more obvious choices, such as Michelle Branch matching Joni Mitchell or Avenged Sevenfold covering Black Sabbath.  Is this to say the unpredictable did not hold up any end of the bargain? Not at all, in fact Adam Sandler is ever impressive and The Used’s take on Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House” is phenomenal and originally spun. Could this be misconstrued as means for Warner Bros. to make even more money via some celebratory excuse? Most definitely, but unlike millions of repeatedly pressed Greatest Hits albums or charity compilations I am actually wanting a copy of this CD because they cover artists I absolutely love and do it remarkably better than half expected.

With guests ranging from the slightly obscure (The Black Keys) to metal mainstream (Disturbed), the comfort zone is extremely well constructed.  Props to Warner notwithstanding, everyone needs to hear this if not only for the originality in covering these classic tunes. Go listen to the album in it’s entirety on MySpace and wish Warner Bros. Records a happy 50th anniversary…ain’t I a stinker for publicity?

Covered, A Revolution In Sound Tracklist:
01. “Just Got Paid” (ZZ Top) – Mastodon (feat. Billy Gibbons)
02. “Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles” (Captain Beefheart) – The Black Keys
03. “A Case of You” (Joni Mitchell) – Michelle Branch
04. “Here Comes a Regular” (The Replacements) – Against Me!
05. “More Than This” (Roxy Music) – Missy Higgins
06. “Into the Mystic” (Van Morrison) – James Otto
07. “Like a Hurricane” (Neil Young) – Adam Sandler
08. “You Wreck Me” (Tom Petty) – Taking Back Sunday
09. “Burning Down the House” (Talking Heads) – The Used
10. “Midlife Crisis” (Faith No More) – Disturbed
11. “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath) – Avenged Sevenfold
12. “Borderline” (Madonna) – Flaming Lips (feat. Stardeath & White Dwarfs)

]]> Damn Yankees, The Sea Chase) released his #1 single "Young Love" for a company called Dot Records. Around that time, Warner Bros. was peeved because all the hype surround this song and not Hunter's recent film under the Warner flag. As a response, Warner Bros. started a fledgling record department in which to sponsor musical artists. Now, Warner Bros. Records might be over the hill but damned if they will be buried down deep inside it. As a result of this anniversary, Covered, A Revolution In Sound is scheduled for release on March 10th. They managed to rope in quite the listing for artists to cover hit songs in the Warner catalog. With prog-metal alchemists Mastodon taking ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" for a heavier twist, modern punkers Against Me! providing their soft side to "Here Comes A Regular" by The Replacements and even managing Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane" with the vocals of comedian Adam Sandler as what might be the most unexpected inclusions. There are in fact more obvious choices, such as Michelle Branch matching Joni Mitchell or Avenged Sevenfold covering Black Sabbath.  Is this to say the unpredictable did not hold up any end of the bargain? Not at all, in fact Adam Sandler is ever impressive and The Used's take on Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" is phenomenal and originally spun. Could this be misconstrued as means for Warner Bros. to make even more money via some celebratory excuse? Most definitely, but unlike millions of repeatedly pressed Greatest Hits albums or charity compilations I am actually wanting a copy of this CD because they cover artists I absolutely love and do it remarkably better than half expected. With guests ranging from the slightly obscure (The Black Keys) to metal mainstream (Disturbed), the comfort zone is extremely well constructed.  Props to Warner notwithstanding, everyone needs to hear this if not only for the originality in covering these classic tunes. Go listen to the album in it's entirety on MySpace and wish Warner Bros. Records a happy 50th anniversary...ain't I a stinker for publicity? Covered, A Revolution In Sound Tracklist: 01. "Just Got Paid" (ZZ Top) - Mastodon (feat. Billy Gibbons) 02. "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" (Captain Beefheart) - The Black Keys 03. "A Case of You" (Joni Mitchell) - Michelle Branch 04. "Here Comes a Regular" (The Replacements) - Against Me! 05. "More Than This" (Roxy Music) - Missy Higgins 06. "Into the Mystic" (Van Morrison) - James Otto 07. "Like a Hurricane" (Neil Young) - Adam Sandler 08. "You Wreck Me" (Tom Petty) - Taking Back Sunday 09. "Burning Down the House" (Talking Heads) - The Used 10. "Midlife Crisis" (Faith No More) - Disturbed 11. "Paranoid" (Black Sabbath) - Avenged Sevenfold 12. "Borderline" (Madonna) - Flaming Lips (feat. Stardeath & White Dwarfs)]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/03/warner-records-unveils-50th-anniversary-cover-album/feed/ 0 Ridiculously Awesome Music Videos: The Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/11/ridiculously-awesome-music-videos-the-heads-once-in-a-lifetime/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/11/ridiculously-awesome-music-videos-the-heads-once-in-a-lifetime/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:30:48 +0000 Adam Kivel http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=9376 For this edition of Ridiculously Awesome Music Videos, I decided to flip on the way-back machine. That’s right, alllll the way back to 1980, an entire year before MTV even existed, let alone before it stopped actually showing music videos.

The Talking Heads have had their share of great music videos (from the lamp-serenading of “This Must Be The Place” in the concert film Stop Making Sense to the eerie projection-house in “Burning Down The House”) but “Once in a Lifetime” easily blows the rest out of the water. Blows most music videos out of the water, for that matter.

The video kicks off with the legendary vocalist David Byrne, all PeeWee Herman’ed out in a grey suit, bow tie and black glasses. He’s in a big, empty white room, breathing heavily and spinning around. And then, my friends, the dancing begins.

Byrne’s moves are nothing short of miraculous. Whether it’s aping the motions of an African tribe shown in a floating box behind him, miming being shot or doing a weird, spasmic full-body contortion, Byrne is utterly mesmerizing.

Fun fact: the choreographer for the video (those aren’t just improvised freak-outs) was Toni Basil, the woman behind “Mickey.” Yes, the genius behind “Oh Mickey, you’re so pretty, you don’t understand” could also choreograph a mean video.

There are some high-tech innovations in the video as well. Byrne dances across the screen as SEVERAL other Byrnes do THE EXACT SAME DANCE behind him. At another point, he’s slowly drifting through a static-y ocean.

The strangest part, though, might be the conclusion. After all this delicious weirdness, the Byrne in the big white room fades away and is replaced by a normal version of himself. The Peewee look is replaced by a white, open collared shirt, the white room replaced by a black room. His hair’s combed back, glasses gone. Who is this new, cool David Byrne? How did he get here?

Regardless, this is an absolute gem of a music video, from the days before MTV. Watch, and let the Byrne-dancing begin.

]]> Ridiculously Awesome Music Videos, I decided to flip on the way-back machine. That's right, alllll the way back to 1980, an entire year before MTV even existed, let alone before it stopped actually showing music videos. The Talking Heads have had their share of great music videos (from the lamp-serenading of "This Must Be The Place" in the concert film Stop Making Sense to the eerie projection-house in "Burning Down The House") but "Once in a Lifetime" easily blows the rest out of the water. Blows most music videos out of the water, for that matter. The video kicks off with the legendary vocalist David Byrne, all PeeWee Herman'ed out in a grey suit, bow tie and black glasses. He's in a big, empty white room, breathing heavily and spinning around. And then, my friends, the dancing begins. Byrne's moves are nothing short of miraculous. Whether it's aping the motions of an African tribe shown in a floating box behind him, miming being shot or doing a weird, spasmic full-body contortion, Byrne is utterly mesmerizing. Fun fact: the choreographer for the video (those aren't just improvised freak-outs) was Toni Basil, the woman behind "Mickey." Yes, the genius behind "Oh Mickey, you're so pretty, you don't understand" could also choreograph a mean video. There are some high-tech innovations in the video as well. Byrne dances across the screen as SEVERAL other Byrnes do THE EXACT SAME DANCE behind him. At another point, he's slowly drifting through a static-y ocean. The strangest part, though, might be the conclusion. After all this delicious weirdness, the Byrne in the big white room fades away and is replaced by a normal version of himself. The Peewee look is replaced by a white, open collared shirt, the white room replaced by a black room. His hair's combed back, glasses gone. Who is this new, cool David Byrne? How did he get here? Regardless, this is an absolute gem of a music video, from the days before MTV. Watch, and let the Byrne-dancing begin. [youtube tZONBKy7qNw]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/11/ridiculously-awesome-music-videos-the-heads-once-in-a-lifetime/feed/ 0 Rock History 101: No Wave http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/rock-history-101-no-wave/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/rock-history-101-no-wave/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:32:54 +0000 E.N. May http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=5850 Few periods of rock history have gone largely unnoticed, yet have had the widest array of influence on much of the emerging music today, as well as the late eighties and into the nineties. I don’t mean to bring us back to the 70′s for more music history, but for those music lovers out there, you can’t help but look back to that decade, especially when trying to understand some of our most coveted bands.

Starting in the late 70′s, approximately 1976 for those keeping tabs, the brewing of a new form of rock n’ roll began to take shape during New York City’s darkest time. Punk Rock, and its consequential sub-genres, would remain strictly underground during that time period, and like all of our most influential art, only gain notoriety long after its founders have passed.  One of these sub-genres that has recently come to light with its score of obvious grandchildren, which thanks to the Internet, have been making names for themselves.

Compared to the rest of musical history, No Wave was a blip on the radar screen. Starting in 1976, its staple bands were all but finished by 1980-82 (just in time for Hardcore to take the reins).  The term No Wave stemmed from a reaction to New Wave and was noted as a style of art that spanned several mediums focusing on minimalism and Dadaism (think: “this is art because I say it’s art”). For our purposes, it was an important punk-rock sub genre that put emphasis on texture rather than melody. Sound like anything you have heard lately? Noise, math, and industrial have the most to owe to these pioneering bands, but you can hear the echoes in almost anything indie you listen to today. As for the sound itself, it is hard to describe. It could be anything from over use of static in the undertones, to off the wall vocals. Spastic guitar and drum solos can also be found here drawing largely on jazz technique, but taken to the next level. It is music because the musicians say it is, making melody and tones from that which had not been considered before, expanding the front of what was and is possible.

I have been talking about these musicians as a whole now, but lets break them down and drop some names. The first of these contemporary acts to serve as direct descendants to the genre is Sonic Youth. Founding member Thurston Moore has sighted the Theoretical Girls as an influence for the band, which started back in 1981. Good timing. Others to be named here are Mars, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, and DNA. This by no means is a complete list, as there were many more that came and went during that time period, a few of which actually featured Moore, too. What they all shared was the same confrontational attitude in their lyrics and avant-garde style that, for the most part, was ignored by the New York press, who were too involved in New Wave. It seemed to make punk rock a little bit more palatable for those who embraced it. Something even more interesting about this moment in rock history is that unlike their more brutal and blunt brethren, many of these bands were led by women. Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Lydia Lunch are great examples of such women. Rosa Yemen on the track “Rosa Vertov” is the perfect example of just how odd this music can get as she “sings” over high-pitched chirps and the genres signature sonic guitars.

Aside from Sonic Youth, you can hear the influences everywhere these days, from Liars to No Age, Animal Collective to the Foals. Speaking of the Foals and anything dance rock, check out James White and the Blacks. You may be surprised, especially when listening to that drum beat. I recommend the track “Contort Yourself.” The Pixies and Flaming Lips can also be sited as having been originally swept into this group as Post-No Wave acts. In an effort to gather the movement on to one sweeping compilation, Brian Eno, better known for his collaborations with David Byrne and the Talking Heads, put out No New York in 1978. The record features four bands, three of which I mentioned above, the fourth being James Chance and the Contortions. It also features a number of soloists at the forefront of the movement, often too involved in their own art to label it under their bands name.

At the time no one was paying attention to this indefinable style of music. Like all punk rock sub-genres they consisted of mostly like-minded artists interchanging bands and working together only to be ignored for that time period except by each other and their peers. They were all ahead of their time, and we can now look back and thank those responsible for making it cool to be experimental, and weird, pushing forward anything that resembled a formula.

Check Out:

No Wave, 1976-1980

]]> No New York in 1978. The record features four bands, three of which I mentioned above, the fourth being James Chance and the Contortions. It also features a number of soloists at the forefront of the movement, often too involved in their own art to label it under their bands name. At the time no one was paying attention to this indefinable style of music. Like all punk rock sub-genres they consisted of mostly like-minded artists interchanging bands and working together only to be ignored for that time period except by each other and their peers. They were all ahead of their time, and we can now look back and thank those responsible for making it cool to be experimental, and weird, pushing forward anything that resembled a formula. Check Out: No Wave, 1976-1980 [youtube HW6AjT1fXB4]]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2008/08/rock-history-101-no-wave/feed/ 1