Queen have announced that they will re-release all of their studio albums on vinyl over the next two years. The album packaging will feature original album details as well as bonus posters and pictures. This will be the first time all of Queen’s albums will be available on vinyl. The Hollywood Records re-releases will span the band’s career, from their 1973 debut self-titled album with singer Freddie Mercury to 2008’s ‘Cosmos Rocks’, featuring Paul Rodgers on vocals.
Hollywood Records will release a new “wave” of records every six months. “The First Wave” consists of ‘A Night At The Opera’, ‘A Day At the Races’, ‘Sheer Heart Attack’, ‘Queen’ and ‘The Cosmos Rocks’. “The Second Wave” will be available in spring 2009 and includes an edition of the rare gold-foil stamped ‘Queen’ album, ‘Flash Gordon’, ‘News Of The World’, ‘A Kind of Magic’ and ‘Innuendo’.
Meanwhile, the band have announced that their concert film ‘Queen + Paul Rodgers: Let the Cosmos Rock’ will screen in 425 cinemas across the US on November 6. The film features footage from their recent free concert in Kharkov, Ukraine’s Freedom Square, which drew a record audience of more than 350,000. For tickets and additional information, visit www.FathomEvents.com. (Via NME.)
So, I railed pretty hard against the Pitchfork and Stereogum artists yesterday and I’ve given it some time since then, …thought it over, …allowed cooler heads to prevail …and well–nothing’s changed. In fact, I probably didn’t express my disdain enough.
But if you really wanna get ticked off, try heading over to RollingStone.com or picking up their dead tree edition. To the Pitchgummer’s credit, at least they’re TRYING to tap into new talent. The ‘Stoners can’t even nail that one down and actually let the PitchGum network do all the leg-work to parse the alt-indie school kids. By the time Rolling Stone’s got the up-and-clubbers anywhere on their radar, they’ve been built up and torn down by the same machinery that denounces and picks apart their very success. Maddening.
All of which to say, we’ve got new feature here at TVD which we call — oh,… wait…that’d be getting ahead of myself now, wouldn’t it?
For now, a bit of good news: Prefab Sprout will release a new album in the early part of next year. The album, the band’s first since 2001, has the tentative title ‘Let’s Change the World With Music – The Blueprint’ and will include songs with the working titles ‘Let There Be Music’, ‘God Watch Over You’, and ‘The Last Of The Great Romantics’. (via Remember The 80’s.)
“I remember standing in a coffee shop listening to ‘Lust for Life’ by Iggy Pop when this guy I don’t really know comes up to me, kind of provokingly, and says – what the hell is this music about? I answered that I think it has something to do with love or possibly food. He didn’t look too impressed by my short analysis and I figured that either he doesn’t like me or he’s just not a music fan. As it turned out he wasn’t all that behind, because a little later when I interrogated him for thoughts on our music he really quickly came up with these three: random animals, adventurous hurricanes, and cream drunk from a straw. Given he had only heard the album once or twice, I think that’s a pretty colorful description. The one thing I wish he had included is the word ‘wood’. Especially in its Finnish version – ‘puu’. Well, some things are better left unsaid, I guess.” -Fredrik Hultin
This morning Pitchfork reviews the new Kaiser Chiefs record and gives it a fairly decent 6.8. But, know what? I just don’t care.
I don’t care about 97% of the bands Pitchfork goes on about. Same with Stereogum. The vast majority of it: bo-ring. And despite my well-worn proclivities to appreciate music alternative to the mainstream–I’m simply starting to: just not care. And it’s obviously not for TRYING to care or reading the alt-indie-blogs…because I do – daily – HOPING for some savior. Or, a new BREED of saviors…but whoa lord, it ain’t coming.
And I’m starting to get pissed, frankly. I think of ‘kids’ today getting excited over a new Kaiser Chiefs release and I wanna slam my head with a hammer. I’d like to write it off as “just getting old” because, really – it’d be easier that way. But when so few bands of the PitchGum generation sound marginally, oh – I don’t know…fresh? Interesting? Compelling? Have something–ANYthing to say — it’s not about being old, it’s simply about: knowing the difference.
And really, I shouldn’t knock the Kaiser Chiefs. They’re actually ‘ok’. It’s just that: I don’t care. (OR, I haven’t been made to care…there’s a difference.)
And despite yesterday’s claim to forego “theme weeks” here at TVD…suddenly there’s a theme a-brewing…
I overheard a news report this morning, amidst the hiccupping and burping of the coffee maker, which involved a study on the brain and the various consciousness levels we inhabit during the day. A contrast was being drawn between two competing mental states–one being the detached state of awareness which exists when we’re doing routine tasks–commuting to work for example. The other is the more attuned level of consciousness, where you remember to pick up your dry cleaning during that routine trip to work–and the mental machinery that kicks such detail-oriented perceptions into gear.
Leaning against the counter as the coffee maker sputtered to a halt and the cats did their dance for their morning meal, I thought that my musical inclinations are no different than that morning commute to the office. I mean, how many times have I (and have you) arrived at work barely being able to recall the commute, but gosh darn it, there I sit barely recalling anything but throwing a coat on and then–boom–walking through the front door to the workplace.
There’s an interesting subconscious parallel here to what music I choose to listen to in particular times of the year (a topic that’s been covered here before, I believe). Somehow, the seasons still continue to inform my personal soundtrack…quietly, subconsciously like Spring forward/Fall back-clockwork. It’s only when I’m contemplating this here blog and material for the coming weeks, do I “pick up my dry cleaning” or rather, break out of the patterned reality and interject task-oriented musical selections far from my predispositioned norm.
Which is a very long way to say that this week and for however long we’re returning to being comfy. (A Fall’s back fall back, if you will.) So, pull up a seat. Coffee’s on…
Deleted Scenes is a four-piece indie rock band living in DC and Brooklyn, NY. We met as kids growing up in Maryland and have been playing together under various guises ever since. The songwriting, a collaboration between Dan Scheuerman (vocals/guitars) and Matthew “Fatty” Dowling (bass/organ/vibraphone/flex-o-tone), is strengthened by the undeniably precise musicianship of drummer Brian Hospital and guitarist Chris Scheffey. In 2005, we recorded a four-song EP with Billy Gordon (of J-Roddy Walston & the Business) in Baltimore which featured songs Dan wrote at the end of college, and which Fatty helped hone and arrange with various instruments. In late 2006, the EP was released through Echelon Productions, and throughout the year that stretched across 2007 and 2008, we toured the country, and recorded a full-length record with J. Robbins (Jawbox/Burning Airlines) and L. Skell (the Rude Staircase). The resulting album is a diverse, propulsive, and deeply personal set of songs called “Birdseed Shirt.” It is named after a passage in Jonathan Safran-Foer’s novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. We are still finalizing plans for release and distribution.
Update 10/16: So, who’s got your back? TVD – that’s who. Due to the overwhelming response to this giveaway, Camila and Leisha have given us ANOTHER pair of tickets to give away–so that means we’ll have TWO winners now for our Uh Huh HERE Contest. That’s right–your chances of winning just got 50% better, indeed.
It’s no mystery to us here at TVD that, despite hailing from the nation’s capitol and maintaining a rather DC-centric focus, visitors to the blog arrive from all corners of the globe. (I mean, from ALL corners. Daily.)
So, we’ve often felt that much of the readership has been shut out of the local ticket giveaways we’ve sponsored. Sooo – in an effort to remedy that a wee bit, TVD presents our ‘Uh Huh HERE’ contest where YOU choose the city and venue in which to see the lovely ladies of Uh Huh Her do their thing live. The dates, cities, and venues from which to choose are:
October 24 – Theatre Of The Living Arts , Philadelphia, PA October 25 – The Norva, Norfolk, VA October 27 – The Roxy, Boston, MA October 29 – Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Say hello to us in the comments section and let us know where and when you’d like to see Uh Huh Her and we’ll award a pair of tix to the most compelling comment-er. We’ll take submissions ’til next Tuesday (10/21) and PLEASE remember to leave us some contact info! Uh Huh Her – Not A Love Song (Mp3)
“I want my music to be beautiful and unsettling at the same time–something that stops the listener and reminds them of something really true in their own lives. The best songs I’ve ever heard–by people like Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley, and Elliott Smith–let me know I was not alone. But don’t get me wrong–I hate all that emo shit. It’s more about just getting it out than wallowing in self-pity. Belting House of the Rising Sun in my living room at one in the morning when my roommate’s not home can be very cathartic. So the goal is getting to do stuff like that better, more often, and for more people. At least my neighbors haven’t complained yet.”
This week on TVD, we’re featuring the theme “It Came From the North,” a look at my favorite acts from your Canuck friends north of the border. These artists achieved enough fame to transcend their humble origins in the land of maple syrup and polar bears, while allowing their national identity to shine through in their music. Can we get a salute for the maple leaf?
While there have been Canadian rock bands making a name for themselves in the USA before, The Guess Who were the first to reach superstardom without having to trade in their passports to achieve it. As legendary giants of Canadian pop music, they were the first Canadian band to chart a Number 1 hit in the States, and the first musicians to be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. This notoriety offered them the perfect forum to promulgate their version of Canadian values to the world via their smash hit, “American Woman,” which delighted Canadian nationalists and scandalized American critics. Lester Bangs wrote, “Wouldn’t you be offended by this Canuck creep coming down here and taking all our money while running down our women? Sure you would!”
If that wasn’t bad enough, buried somewhere in the middle of the song are pacifist lyrics which fit right into the politically charged climate of the Vietnam War. Not only was The Guess Who dissing American chicks, but now they were mocking Lady Liberty herself! The degree of offense was such that when The Guess Who was invited to play at the White House for the President and Prince Charles, Pat Nixon made a special request for “American Woman” to be omitted from their set list. This infamous song went a long way towards establishing Canada’s reputation as a haven for draft-dodgers and hippies, but that didn’t stop their records from flying off the shelves. Musically, they represent a nice transition from the pop-soul of the 60s to the burgeoning hard rock of the 70s. The Guess Who remain staples of Canadian oldies radio and I’ve spent many a pleasant road trip zipping down the highway, enjoying the fall colors with their tunes blaring out of my windows. Try it yourself while the weather’s still decent!
If I was to be in town Friday, I’d be front and center at Dahlak, for sure:
“Brooklyn, NY singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Iféoluwa Babalola who performs as The White Noise Supremacists will play solo acoustic for the first time in D.C. at Dahlak on October 10, 2008. Her melodic indie rock/post punk/folk hybrid has drawn comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, Gang of Four, Radiohead, and Camera Obscura, to name a few.
Her socially conscious lyrics, DIY approach and memorable moniker have set her apart in NYC’s indie rock scene just as much as her origins; she is a first generation American (Half Nigerian, half Sierra Leonean, born and raised in Brooklyn). Hers is a different perspective too long ignored in rock music and through her songwriting she has become a relatable voice to more and more previously faceless and voiceless fans of underground rock.
Refusing to accept being overrun by the trendy-yet-empty, caricature of itself hipster invasion taking over most independent rock these days, she is spreading her message of equality, iconoclasm and gender and racial empowerment through soaring guitars, thoughtful lyrics and danceable rhythms. Be there on the 10th when she brings it on down to Dahlak (for free!).”
Brooklyn based songwriters Emily Easterly and J Seger teamed up to release the first in a series of 45rpm split singles with “Please, Please Say Goodnight”/ “City Love Is Strange.” The sleeves are screen-printed by Easterly and Seger themselves, cover design by Nathanael Roney.
“ ‘You say you will and you will one day.’ In some respect, just being on vinyl satisfies these opening lyrics (for us). It’s something that recording artists aspire to in some respect and we just decided we’d outlet our collaborative efforts by recording split 7 inches. “Please, Please Say Goodnight” is a song Emily has written post Heart Comma Heart, her most recent full length. It’s a fully produced number, and recalls her Beatle influence, evidenced by the keyboard-y guitar lines in the chorus and the half-time reprise. There’s also some great bass work on the track, a change given her past guitar/drum set up.” – J
“J Seger’s “City Love is Strange” is just a taste of his upcoming full length, due out this winter. He traded one city for another, moving to Brooklyn and wrote this song as a sort of ode to the city he left behind. It’s got a laid back, swinging vibe that suits his personality. We laid down the vocals live and together and I played a fun ukulele part in there. J’s sound has often been referred to as “timeless” so its fitting that his song will be immortalized on vinyl. For those of you who really appreciate vinyl, can you imagine our excitement the first time we put that piece of wax ingrained with our songs on the player and had a listen for the first time? We haven’t stopped smiling….” – Em
…and TVD’s got a copy of that split vinyl single to give away to one lucky commenter!Go here to preview and swoon over both sides of this hand-made gem–then c’mon back and tell us whatcha’ thought in the comments section and leave us some contact info! We’ll choose a winner next Wednesday, 10/15.
I was a wee bit nervous at the launch of the TVD ‘First Date’ feature–what if I run out of new bands to highlight? Can I keep the feature consistent each week? Well, happily it turns out that there’s no shortage of suitor/songwriters out there for us to ‘date’ once a week, and as such I’ve put together a mini theme week for what will ultimately be a short week here at ol’ TVD. (Yep, TVD head’s to Bayou Country to take in the the charms that be: New Orleans. But some more on that later…)
“Do you really give a shit about my goddamn bio? Well, here it is: I was raised by chimpanzees and cut my teeth on the streets of Philadelphia, belting it out in the subways, living for a dream, laying it all on the line, yeah! Then I moved to New Orleans where I became immersed in Mathematics, had sex with the students I was a TA for and got kicked out due to sloth, pot-smoking and opium consumption, while playing the underground scene like a spring of fresh water up-welling into the madness. The madness! After that I moved to SF and opportunistically crashed in on a friend whose chick had just left him. His chick left and he got me, a slovenly and inconsiderate egomaniacal asshole. Then the voice of God came to me and I wrote the best fucking songs ever.
“Love’s lost and they say it’s a waste but I’m never gonna throw it away. That’s my downfall, in everything and the source of my euphoria with music and everything else. Nowadays I’m doing a show at Cafe du Nord in SF October 21, for Cindy Sheehan’s campaign against Nancy “five facelifts” Pelosi for congress in SF. SF people don’t know they can actually vote Nancy out for a true progressive. Perhaps they know but Cindy just doesn’t fit the frame of a politician. Anyway, Nancy’s Bush’s best ally in disguise, which is why Sheehan got so pissed that she moved to SF to take Nancy on, perhaps fruitlessly. But I don’t give a shit about barking up the wrong tree.
So enough about politics. The less my shows and music are about me, the better. That pretty much sums it all up. We all only want to get a chunk of inspiration and joy and that’s why I do music. It’s an opportunity for me to be that chunk and for that, it’s actually worth being here.
Oh, shit, almost forgot: Thanks for TVD for putting a raving idiot on here. You guys must be real schmucks. Kudos!”
If you’re ‘fortunate’ to get a bit older, the one thing you get used to more than anything is well, losing everything. Often it starts with the hairline, then the waistline, or it’s family and then later, friends. The fickle nature of one’s love life is the precursor which probably steels you for that later list, I’m thinking …comings and goings.
Earlier in the week I was talking to my Mom on the phone who’s is in the middle to approaching the later stages of Alzheimer’s. Her voice is the same but the words have no ground in reality. She’s now in a phase where she’s seeing her long dead mother and father as regular visitors to her home and even my dad who passed away over two years ago now still apparently drops by. And she doesn’t even remember raising me, literally asking me in this last phone conversation who my mother was and just who raised me? Sad and peculiar it is indeed.
This week was also a tough one for those who choose to relinquish their expendable cash in the DC area’s book and music stores. Olsson’s Books and Records, after 36 years in the area, closed it’s locally owned chain of seven stores–a victim of the declining economy, CD sales plummeting, and I’m guessing the proliferation of our download culture. I was heartened to see that about two years ago, Olsson’s had reintroduced vinyl onto their shelves, something that I thought might bode well for the future, which I guess will arrive without an Olsson’s to while away an hour or so within.
Next weekend, on October 12 to be specific, the 31-year old Orpheus Records who began life in Georgetown and later relocated to Clarendon, Virginia closes its doors for the final time. Many of you might have noticed that big ol’ ad over there in the left corner announcing the store’s closing (and the slashed prices) getting an update every month as Orpheus was granted a reprieve due to new tenant leasing issues….which seemed to go on…and on.
Frankly, I was happy to update the Orpheus ad with frequency if it meant another month trolling through the bins at Rick’s place. That’s him up there in the photo…see all those records back there? So many of those records–more than I’d ever imagine–are now housed in the TVD stacks. Oddly, Orpheus’ closing and the subsequent major price reductions have literally been a boon to the amount of vinyl I own, and soon much of that stuff will find its way here to the blog, I’m betting.
Hanging out in Orpheus over these past months has been like having these conversations with my mom…the voice is clear with that familiar ring and I feel home here, yet an end is coming. Not just and end for these two particular mainstays, but for an appreciation in general of what these singular stores in any neighborhood MEAN.
Some of my fondest recollections of my dad are the times we spent together in whichever record store on any given weekend–but what DOES the future hold? Will the bloggers over the coming years write, “The fondest recollections of my dad are when he and I were downloading Mp3’s from iTunes”…?
If I could, I’d post a mirror at the top of this post and ask us to take a long hard look at ourselves and ask just what the fuck is happening. But in the meantime, allow me to point out that left hand column once more. I ask you to visit and and be damn supportive of those independent record retailers who open and close a brick and mortar store each day.
“So believe it: this is the real thing, no-one’s crying wolf, not even Alan McGee. There’s not enough hype in the world for Glasvegas. They are an important, amazing, real band that won’t let you down. Not because they play real instruments and sing real songs about real people (they’d be just as genuine if they wrote noise collages about interstellar seahorses on MacBooks); they’re real because they put their entire hearts and souls and brains into it. And that is rock’n’roll.” –NME | “The best Scottish band since Franz Ferdinand sets its sight on America.” –nylonmag.com | “If Glasvegas are the most important British breakthrough band of this year, just as MGMT are the most important from America – and the only doubt about that is whether we’re talking merely this year, or years – then traditional values of rock’n’roll cool have little to do with it.” –The Independent
…The Hotel is the place to be Friday night–and TVD’s got a pair of tickets to put you front and center at the 5th stop of their first 6-date tour of the US for the band currently sitting atop the UK album charts. Get our attention in the comments section and we’ll choose a winner for the pair Friday at noon.
Queen have announced that they will re-release all of their studio albums on vinyl over the next two years. The album packaging will feature original album details as well as bonus posters and pictures. This will be the first time all of Queen’s albums will be available on vinyl. The Hollywood Records re-releases will span the band’s career, from their 1973 debut self-titled album with singer Freddie Mercury to 2008’s ‘Cosmos Rocks’, featuring Paul Rodgers on vocals.
