Wednesday, March 13, 2013
OMD are preparing to drop their new studio album English Electric on April 9th. On Monday, the band premiered the video for the album's first single, "Metroland." Watch the video below via Rolling Stone:
A new interview with OMD's Andy McCluskey is available to read on their official Facebook page. McCluskey tells quite a few interesting stories (talked tour riders, practical jokes, and more), and revealed he was beyond thrilled when OMD's song "Enola Gay" was used as part of the Olympic ceremony in London in 2012:
"It’s just a buzz to think that 20% of the people on the planet have just heard your song right there and then and, live. It was incredible; you know I never believe anything is going to happen in the music industry until it happens. I had been asked if I would sanction it and I said yes and I thought they’re never going to use it, even though I know Danny Boyle is a fan, I just thought they’ll never use it and the fact that they actually used it sort of pretty much right up at the front of the whole music section and it wasn’t just in the 80’s synth pop section was really cool. I mean my phone just exploded (laughs), the number of people who texted me and called me you know"
Read the full interview here.
English Electric will be released April 8th internationally as a digital download, standard CD, deluxe CD/DVD, vinyl LP, and collectors' tin boxset. The album will be released on April 9th in North America.
Don't miss OMD on the road in North America this spring. Tickets for the tour (including the July 20th stop in Detroit) are on sale now. For more on OMD and English Electric, visit the band's official site.
North American tour
04/05 - Vancouver @ Commodore Ballroom
04/06 - Seattle @ Seattle Showbox
04/07 - Portland @ Wonder Ballroom
04/10 - Salt Lake City @ The Depot
04/12 - San Francisco @ Regency Ballroom
04/14 - Coachella
04/15 - Los Angeles @ Fonda Theater
04/18 - Mexico City @ Teatro Metropolitan
04/21 - Coachella (Weekend 2)
07/11 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/12 - Philadelphia @ Union Transfer
07/13 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
07/15 - Boston @ Paradise Rock Club
07/17 - New York City @ Terminal 5
07/19 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/20 - Detroit @ St. Andrew's Hall
07/22 - Minneapolis @ Varsity Theater (rescheduled from July 8th)
07/23 - Chicago @ The Metro (rescheduled from July 9th)
A new interview with OMD's Andy McCluskey is available to read on their official Facebook page. McCluskey tells quite a few interesting stories (talked tour riders, practical jokes, and more), and revealed he was beyond thrilled when OMD's song "Enola Gay" was used as part of the Olympic ceremony in London in 2012:
"It’s just a buzz to think that 20% of the people on the planet have just heard your song right there and then and, live. It was incredible; you know I never believe anything is going to happen in the music industry until it happens. I had been asked if I would sanction it and I said yes and I thought they’re never going to use it, even though I know Danny Boyle is a fan, I just thought they’ll never use it and the fact that they actually used it sort of pretty much right up at the front of the whole music section and it wasn’t just in the 80’s synth pop section was really cool. I mean my phone just exploded (laughs), the number of people who texted me and called me you know"
Read the full interview here.
English Electric will be released April 8th internationally as a digital download, standard CD, deluxe CD/DVD, vinyl LP, and collectors' tin boxset. The album will be released on April 9th in North America.
Don't miss OMD on the road in North America this spring. Tickets for the tour (including the July 20th stop in Detroit) are on sale now. For more on OMD and English Electric, visit the band's official site.
North American tour
04/05 - Vancouver @ Commodore Ballroom
04/06 - Seattle @ Seattle Showbox
04/07 - Portland @ Wonder Ballroom
04/10 - Salt Lake City @ The Depot
04/12 - San Francisco @ Regency Ballroom
04/14 - Coachella
04/15 - Los Angeles @ Fonda Theater
04/18 - Mexico City @ Teatro Metropolitan
04/21 - Coachella (Weekend 2)
07/11 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/12 - Philadelphia @ Union Transfer
07/13 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
07/15 - Boston @ Paradise Rock Club
07/17 - New York City @ Terminal 5
07/19 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/20 - Detroit @ St. Andrew's Hall
07/22 - Minneapolis @ Varsity Theater (rescheduled from July 8th)
07/23 - Chicago @ The Metro (rescheduled from July 9th)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Patti Smith stopped by the Canadian show Strombo to chat it up with host George Stroumboulopoulos last week. An edited version of the interview aired on the telecast, but the CBC was nice enough to upload the full version to You Tube. The interview is excellent - Smith shared her philosophy on creating art, discussed religion (explained lyrics to "Gloria"), and revealed her dream of wanting to host a talk show like Johnny Carson. There's even a short clip of Smith singing Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life." Enjoy the extended interview below.
Patti Smith recently teamed up with Johnny Depp on Depp's pirate collection, Sons Of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys. Stream their song "The Mermaid" below and buy the two disc set, which also includes Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Michael Stipe, Shane Macgowan, Marc Almond, Michael Gira, and more through iTunes or Amazon.
"The Mermaid"
Patti Smith recently teamed up with Johnny Depp on Depp's pirate collection, Sons Of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys. Stream their song "The Mermaid" below and buy the two disc set, which also includes Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Michael Stipe, Shane Macgowan, Marc Almond, Michael Gira, and more through iTunes or Amazon.
"The Mermaid"
North American tour
3/16 - Austin, TX @ Buffalo Billiards
5/17 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
5/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
5/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
5/31 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
6/01 - New York @ Mercury Lounge
6/02 - Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon
Depeche Mode fans were in heaven last night as the band took over the Ed Sullivan Theater and performed a nine song set for Live on Letterman, which included the premiere of a few new tracks from their forthcoming album Delta Machine. A few hours after the show, they performed the new single, "Heaven" on the Late Show with David Letterman. If you missed any of the excitement yesterday, or just want to relive it in its full glory, stream both performances below.
Depeche Mode Live on Letterman - Fans outside the U.S., take a look at the second version (Daily Motion) of the video - it should work outside the U.S.
Setlist
01. Angel
02. Should Be Higher
03. Walking In My Shoes
04. Barrel Of A Gun
05. Heaven
06. Personal Jesus
07. Soft Touch/Raw Nerve
08. Soothe My Soul
09. Enjoy The Silence
"Heaven" (Letterman)
Depeche Mode kick off their North American tour August 22nd at DTE in Detroit. Tickets for the tour go on sale Saturday, April 6th at 10am, though fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early through a variety of internet presales. The presale for Citi card members starts April 1st; an Amazon presale runs April 3rd through April 5th (fans who preorder Delta Machine on or before April 1st are eligible for the Amazon presale); Facebook presale starts April 4th (register through Depeche Mode's Facebook page), and finally the Live Nation presale kicks off April 5th. Important to note for all presales: a presale access code does NOT guarantee tickets, nor does it guarantee tickets at price level of your choice. For more on the Depeche Mode North American tour, visit Depeche Mode on the web.
Presales/general onsale calendar
04/01 - Citi presale
04/03 - Amazon presale (runs through 4/5 at 10pm)
04/04 - Facebook presale (register for access code here)
04/05 - Live Nation presale
04/06 - General onsale begins at 10am
DEPECHE MODE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
8/22 - Detroit @ DTE
8/24 - Chicago @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
8/27 - St. Paul @ Minnesota State Fair
9/01 - Toronto @ Molson Canadian Amphitheater
9/03 - Montreal @ Bell Centre
9/06 - Brooklyn @ Barclays
9/08 - Wantagh @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
9/10 - Washington DC @ Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 - Atlanta @ Aaron's Amphitheater
9/14 - Tampa @ Live Nation Amphitheater
9/15 - Ft. Lauderdale @ BB&T Center
9/18 - Houston @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
9/20 - Dallas @ Gexa Energy
9/22 - San Diego @ Sleep Train Amphitheater
9/24 - Santa Barbara @ Santa Barbara Bowl
9/26 - Mountain View @ Shoreline
9/28 - Los Angeles @ Staples
9/29 - Los Angeles @ Staples
10/8 - Phoenix @ Desert Sky
Depeche Mode Live on Letterman - Fans outside the U.S., take a look at the second version (Daily Motion) of the video - it should work outside the U.S.
Setlist
01. Angel
02. Should Be Higher
03. Walking In My Shoes
04. Barrel Of A Gun
05. Heaven
06. Personal Jesus
07. Soft Touch/Raw Nerve
08. Soothe My Soul
09. Enjoy The Silence
"Heaven" (Letterman)
Depeche Mode kick off their North American tour August 22nd at DTE in Detroit. Tickets for the tour go on sale Saturday, April 6th at 10am, though fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early through a variety of internet presales. The presale for Citi card members starts April 1st; an Amazon presale runs April 3rd through April 5th (fans who preorder Delta Machine on or before April 1st are eligible for the Amazon presale); Facebook presale starts April 4th (register through Depeche Mode's Facebook page), and finally the Live Nation presale kicks off April 5th. Important to note for all presales: a presale access code does NOT guarantee tickets, nor does it guarantee tickets at price level of your choice. For more on the Depeche Mode North American tour, visit Depeche Mode on the web.
Presales/general onsale calendar
04/01 - Citi presale
04/03 - Amazon presale (runs through 4/5 at 10pm)
04/04 - Facebook presale (register for access code here)
04/05 - Live Nation presale
04/06 - General onsale begins at 10am
DEPECHE MODE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
8/22 - Detroit @ DTE
8/24 - Chicago @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
8/27 - St. Paul @ Minnesota State Fair
9/01 - Toronto @ Molson Canadian Amphitheater
9/03 - Montreal @ Bell Centre
9/06 - Brooklyn @ Barclays
9/08 - Wantagh @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
9/10 - Washington DC @ Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 - Atlanta @ Aaron's Amphitheater
9/14 - Tampa @ Live Nation Amphitheater
9/15 - Ft. Lauderdale @ BB&T Center
9/18 - Houston @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
9/20 - Dallas @ Gexa Energy
9/22 - San Diego @ Sleep Train Amphitheater
9/24 - Santa Barbara @ Santa Barbara Bowl
9/26 - Mountain View @ Shoreline
9/28 - Los Angeles @ Staples
9/29 - Los Angeles @ Staples
10/8 - Phoenix @ Desert Sky
Monday, March 11, 2013
Depeche Mode announced details today for their North American tour. The 18 date tour kicks off August 22nd at DTE in Detroit, and concludes in Phoenix on October 8th. Tickets for the tour go on sale Saturday, April 6th at 10am, however there are a TON of ticket presales for the tour. The presale for Citi card members starts April 1st; an Amazon presale runs April 3rd through April 5th (fans who preorder Delta Machine on or before April 1st are eligible for the Amazon presale); Facebook presale starts April 4th (register through Depeche Mode's Facebook page), and finally the Live Nation presale kicks off April 5th. Important to note for all presales: a presale access code does NOT guarantee tickets, nor does it guarantee tickets at price level of your choice. For more on the Depeche Mode North American tour, visit Depeche Mode on the web.
Presales/general onsale calendar
04/01 - Citi presale
04/03 - Amazon presale (runs through 4/5 at 10pm)
04/04 - Facebook presale (register for access code here)
04/05 - Live Nation presale
04/06 - General onsale begins at 10am
DEPECHE MODE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
8/22 - Detroit @ DTE
8/24 - Chicago @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
8/27 - St. Paul @ Minnesota State Fair
9/01 - Toronto @ Molson Canadian Amphitheater
9/03 - Montreal @ Bell Centre
9/06 - Brooklyn @ Barclays
9/08 - Wantagh @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
9/10 - Washington DC @ Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 - Atlanta @ Aaron's Amphitheater
9/14 - Tampa @ Live Nation Amphitheater
9/15 - Ft. Lauderdale @ BB&T Center
9/18 - Houston @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
9/20 - Dallas @ Gexa Energy
9/22 - San Diego @ Sleep Train Amphitheater
9/24 - Santa Barbara @ Santa Barbara Bowl
9/26 - Mountain View @ Shoreline
9/28 - Los Angeles @ Staples
9/29 - Los Angeles @ Staples
10/8 - Phoenix @ Desert Sky
Tonight don't miss Depeche Mode's live streaming concert for Live on Letterman. The show streams live from the official Live on Letterman site and Vevo starting at 8pm tonight, then the concert will be available for on-demand viewing. Depeche Mode are also playing the Late show with David Letterman tonight where they'll perform their new single "Heaven."
After Letterman, Depeche Mode head to Austin, Texas for a couple of events at South By Southwest. First up, Depeche Mode appear at the Austin Convention Center on March 13th for a Q & A panel discussion moderated by Jason Bentley from KCRW. Then on March 15th, Depeche Mode play an exclusive concert at Brazo Hall - for all the non-SXSW peeps, not to worry, Yahoo! is taping the concert and will premiere it on their site starting March 25th.
All of this leads up to the release of Depeche Mode's 13th studio album Delta Machine on March 26th. The album's first single, "Heaven" is a bit of a departure from the more traditional Depeche Mode sound. Check out a short video interview with Dave Gahan, Martin L. Gore, and Andy Fletcher talking about how they wrote "Heaven" below:
"Heaven" (live studio session)
A new interview with Suede's Brett Anderson was published in today's Music Week - a good portion of the interview included a discussion about the current state of the music industry:
"What scares me is the idea that being in a band is becoming a rich kids' plaything...music was once one of the few places on earth where privilege got you nothing. The lack of money in the music industry means a lot of bands on the margins of making a living aren’t able to do so. That’s a really sad thing, it’s often where the truly interesting music comes from. I wonder if The Fall could ever start off today - one of the most inspiring bands ever."
Read the full interview over at Music Week.
Suede is still offering up a free mp3 of the album track "Barriers." Download it here and take a look at their rehearsal room video for "Barriers" below.
The first single from Bloodsports is "It Starts And Ends With You" - watch the official video for the single below:
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Johnny Marr kicked off the U.K. leg of his tour in support of his debut solo album the Messenger last week. So far the setlist looks stellar - in addition to new material, Marr has been performing a handful of classics from the Smiths and Electronic! Take a look at Marr's full set captured March 7th at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds below, and don't miss Johnny Marr live in North America this spring! The full tour itinerary (including a stop at the Magic Stick in Detroit on April 26th) is listed here.
UPDATE: Videos from the Leeds show have been removed from You Tube. Instead, take a look at some footage from the March 8th show in Preston, England at 53 Degrees below (while you can):
Setlist (Preston, England)
The Right Thing Right
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Upstarts
Sun & Moon
Forbidden City
European Me
London
Lockdown
The Messenger
Generate! Generate!
Say Demesne
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Word Starts Attack
New Town Velocity
I Want the Heartbeat
Encore:
Getting Away With It
How Soon Is Now?
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
UPDATE: Videos from the Leeds show have been removed from You Tube. Instead, take a look at some footage from the March 8th show in Preston, England at 53 Degrees below (while you can):
Setlist (Preston, England)
The Right Thing Right
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Upstarts
Sun & Moon
Forbidden City
European Me
London
Lockdown
The Messenger
Generate! Generate!
Say Demesne
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Word Starts Attack
New Town Velocity
I Want the Heartbeat
Encore:
Getting Away With It
How Soon Is Now?
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Saturday, March 9, 2013
On March 8th the Go Go's announced that original bassist Kathy Valentine is out of the band due to "irreconcilable differences." No other information about Valentine's departure was revealed, and Valentine herself hasn't commented other than to thank fans for their support. Read the terse statement the band posted on Facebook below:
"The Go Go's have parted ways with bassist Kathy Valentine, citing irreconcilable differences. The rest of the lineup, original since 1979 (Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Jane Wiedlin) remains intact. The band looks forward to another fun and exciting tour this summer."
Meanwhile, the Kathy Valentine-less Go Go's will be hitting the road this summer for a co-headline tour with the B-52s. The specifics are being plotted out right now, but take a look at the list of cities they're planning on playing below:
* New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom - 6/19/13
* Hyannis, MA
* Boston, MA
* Detroit, MI
* Cincinnati, OH
* Anderson, IN
* Chicago, IL - Ravinia Festival - 6/30/13
* Marysville, WA
* Portland, OR
* Saratoga, CA
* Tuscon, AZ
* Scottsdale, AZ
More info on the tour will be posted when it becomes available.
"The Go Go's have parted ways with bassist Kathy Valentine, citing irreconcilable differences. The rest of the lineup, original since 1979 (Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock and Jane Wiedlin) remains intact. The band looks forward to another fun and exciting tour this summer."
love you guys. appreciate every single message. xoxokv
— Kathy Valentine (@Kathy_Valentine) March 9, 2013
* New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom - 6/19/13
* Hyannis, MA
* Boston, MA
* Detroit, MI
* Cincinnati, OH
* Anderson, IN
* Chicago, IL - Ravinia Festival - 6/30/13
* Marysville, WA
* Portland, OR
* Saratoga, CA
* Tuscon, AZ
* Scottsdale, AZ
More info on the tour will be posted when it becomes available.
Morrissey's official site, True To You, has announced tonight's show scheduled for San Francisco's Regency Ballroom has been postponed and rescheduled for May 1st. The press release states the show was postponed due to Morrissey's "ongoing medical condition." So far the rest of the dates on the tour remain intact and the tour is scheduled to resume March 14th in Mexico City, at the Vive Latino festival.
UPDATED (March 11): More details have been revealed in regards to Saturday night's show postponement - according to True To You, Moz is being treated in San Francisco for pneumonia* and will be back for his next show on March 14th. Additionally Moz offered up a few choice comments about security at last week's show in Portland, calling the venue security "extreme and silly." Read the full update here.
"Still Ill" (from March 4th show in Davis, California)
3/14 - Mexico City @ Vive Latino festival
3/18 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
3/19 - Lincoln, NE @ Rococo Theater
3/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum
3/23 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theater
3/27 - Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
3/29 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
3/30 - Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Theater
4/02 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
4/03 - Richmond, VA @ National
4/06 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tower
4/08 - Flint, MI @ Whiting Auditorium
4/09 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theater
4/12 - Beaumont, TX @ Jefferson Theater
4/13 - Pharr, TX @ Pharr Entertainment Center
4/15 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium
4/16 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall
4/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theater
4/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea
4/23 - El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
4/26 - Denver, CO @ Temple Hoyne Buell Theater
4/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
4/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theater
5/01 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
UPDATED (March 11): More details have been revealed in regards to Saturday night's show postponement - according to True To You, Moz is being treated in San Francisco for pneumonia* and will be back for his next show on March 14th. Additionally Moz offered up a few choice comments about security at last week's show in Portland, calling the venue security "extreme and silly." Read the full update here.
"Still Ill" (from March 4th show in Davis, California)
3/14 - Mexico City @ Vive Latino festival
3/18 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
3/19 - Lincoln, NE @ Rococo Theater
3/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum
3/23 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theater
3/27 - Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
3/29 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
3/30 - Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Theater
4/02 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
4/03 - Richmond, VA @ National
4/06 - Philadelphia, PA @ Tower
4/08 - Flint, MI @ Whiting Auditorium
4/09 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theater
4/12 - Beaumont, TX @ Jefferson Theater
4/13 - Pharr, TX @ Pharr Entertainment Center
4/15 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium
4/16 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall
4/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theater
4/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea
4/23 - El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
4/26 - Denver, CO @ Temple Hoyne Buell Theater
4/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
4/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theater
5/01 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
After Letterman, Depeche Mode head to Austin, Texas for a couple of events at South By Southwest. First up, Depeche Mode appear at the Austin Convention Center on March 13th for a Q & A panel discussion moderated by Jason Bentley from KCRW. Then on March 15th, Depeche Mode play an exclusive concert at Brazo Hall - for all the non-SXSW peeps, not to worry, Yahoo! is taping the concert and will premiere it on their site starting March 25th.
All of this leads up to the release of Depeche Mode's 13th studio album Delta Machine on March 26th. The album's first single, "Heaven" is a bit of a departure from the more traditional Depeche Mode sound. Check out a short video interview with Dave Gahan, Martin L. Gore, and Andy Fletcher talking about how they wrote "Heaven" below:
According to a new Billboard interview with Dave Gahan, "Heaven" is the best track on Delta Machine:
"It was agreed upon that it was the best song...we weren't really thinking it won't get played on the radio; it won't be this or that. It represented a shift in where we are, who we are as people -- I don't know, just a change. It's just pretty much a straight-ahead sort of blues-y, gospel-y track and I think that's where the comparisons are drawn to Songs of Faith and Devotion and certainly Violator."
Read the full interview with Dave Gahan over at Billboard.
UPDATE: Depeche Mode announced details for their North American tour on March 11th. The tour kicks off August 22nd at DTE in Detroit. The Internet presales for the tour kick off on April 1st. For details visit the Depeche Mode website.
"Heaven" (live studio session)
Friday, March 8, 2013
Detroit's own ADULT. return with a new album The Way Things Fall in May. Though Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus released their last album Why Bother? way back in 2007, they've been abundantly busy with other creative projects - including the completion of three films, building renovation (Hernan Bas' building in Eastern Market), and visual art/photography. Last year ADULT. headed back to the studio to record two tracks for a 12", but they felt so rejuvenated they ended up putting together a full album. Take a listen to the new song "Idle (Second Thoughts)" below via Bullett.
The Way Things Fall will be released through Ghostly on May 14th and is available to pre-order now on vinyl, limited edition orange vinyl, cd, or as a digital download. Don't miss ADULT. live at Movement in Detroit this Memorial Day weekend. For more on ADULT. visit their official site.
The Way Things Fall tracklisting
01. Heartbreak
02. Idle (Second Thoughts)
03. Tonight We Fall
04. New Frustration
05. Love Lies
06. At The End of it All
07. Nothing Lasts
08. A Day Like Forever
09. We Will Rest
10. Rise & Fall
The Way Things Fall will be released through Ghostly on May 14th and is available to pre-order now on vinyl, limited edition orange vinyl, cd, or as a digital download. Don't miss ADULT. live at Movement in Detroit this Memorial Day weekend. For more on ADULT. visit their official site.
The Way Things Fall tracklisting
01. Heartbreak
02. Idle (Second Thoughts)
03. Tonight We Fall
04. New Frustration
05. Love Lies
06. At The End of it All
07. Nothing Lasts
08. A Day Like Forever
09. We Will Rest
10. Rise & Fall
Thursday, March 7, 2013
This morning You Tube recommended the following video to me, and it's a beaut! At some point in 1987 Suzanne Somer stopped peddling Thighmasters long enough to fill in as a guest host for Joan Rivers on her late night show (this video is NOT from Somers' own show in the 90s). Whoever was in charge of obtaining musical acts for the show deserves a gold star for deciding to book Wire for a live appearance. Watch Wire's performance of "Drill" below, and be sure to watch through to the very end to check out Somer's Madonna-licious outfit, and her even more awkwardly clueless mini-interview with the band ("you're sort of a far out group"). Good times.
Screenshots/photos from Wire's appearance on the program are posted here. One wonders how Joan Rivers would have handled the appearance had she been hosting the show instead of Suzanne...
At any rate, all of this is a good enough reason to discuss Wire, because they're about to release a new album titled Change Becomes Us later this month. The album features newly finished songs from previously unreleased ideas/song sketches created in 1979-1980, so in a sense it's both an old and new album. Take a listen to the lead track "Doubles & Trebles" below and head over to Stereogum to grab a free download of another song, "Love Bends." Change Becomes Us will be released on cd and digital download on March 26th. A vinyl version will be released for Record Store Day on April 20th. Order here.
Wire are preparing for a few live shows: they've teamed up with the Quietus to curate a series of concerts--titled Drill:Wire--taking place March 21st through March 24th. Wire will play two of these concerts: on March 24th they'll perform Change Becomes Us in full, and the night before they'll open for the awesomely cool London band Toy. An obvious question might be, why would the legendary Wire serve as warm up for a new band? Colin Newman explained to the Quietus that they thought it would be cool to open for a younger band in a small venue, and they were highly impressed with the London newcomers:
"Some bands just have it. Obviously rhythmically they are quite different to Wire, Rob is a propulsive drummer but his core beats are different. Toy have the krautrock thing going which in a way is more Githead than Wire. They also have a touch of psychedelia but it's the marriage between that and the rhythm that makes it deadly."
Read Colin Newman's discussion about Toy here, and find out more about the Drill:Wire concerts here.
For anyone who hasn't checked out Toy, stop what you're doing and take a listen to their song "Kopter" below. The track is from their self-titled 2012 full length debut, which was one of last year's best records.
Screenshots/photos from Wire's appearance on the program are posted here. One wonders how Joan Rivers would have handled the appearance had she been hosting the show instead of Suzanne...
At any rate, all of this is a good enough reason to discuss Wire, because they're about to release a new album titled Change Becomes Us later this month. The album features newly finished songs from previously unreleased ideas/song sketches created in 1979-1980, so in a sense it's both an old and new album. Take a listen to the lead track "Doubles & Trebles" below and head over to Stereogum to grab a free download of another song, "Love Bends." Change Becomes Us will be released on cd and digital download on March 26th. A vinyl version will be released for Record Store Day on April 20th. Order here.
Wire are preparing for a few live shows: they've teamed up with the Quietus to curate a series of concerts--titled Drill:Wire--taking place March 21st through March 24th. Wire will play two of these concerts: on March 24th they'll perform Change Becomes Us in full, and the night before they'll open for the awesomely cool London band Toy. An obvious question might be, why would the legendary Wire serve as warm up for a new band? Colin Newman explained to the Quietus that they thought it would be cool to open for a younger band in a small venue, and they were highly impressed with the London newcomers:
"Some bands just have it. Obviously rhythmically they are quite different to Wire, Rob is a propulsive drummer but his core beats are different. Toy have the krautrock thing going which in a way is more Githead than Wire. They also have a touch of psychedelia but it's the marriage between that and the rhythm that makes it deadly."
Read Colin Newman's discussion about Toy here, and find out more about the Drill:Wire concerts here.
For anyone who hasn't checked out Toy, stop what you're doing and take a listen to their song "Kopter" below. The track is from their self-titled 2012 full length debut, which was one of last year's best records.
Originally published March 7th, 2013
New Order's legendary dance anthem "Blue Monday" was released as a 12" single 30 years ago today and it went on to become the biggest selling 12" of all time. The song served as an inspiration and influence for countless bands and is still frequently covered and borrowed/sampled. "Blue Monday" never enjoyed mainstream success on U.S. radio when it was released in 1983 (didn't chart on Billboard's Hot 100), but any club worth going to knew what was up, and the song became a smash across the country and all over the world.
Stream the original 12" version of "Blue Monday" below:
A remixed version of "Blue Monday" was released by New Order in 1988 (titled "Blue Monday 88") and the '88 version did quite well, largely due to the impact of dance clubs, plus by that time New Order had enjoyed success on U.S. radio with the hits "Bizarre Love Triangle," and "True Faith."
Bernard Sumner discussed the making of "Blue Monday" with the Sabotage Times: in May 2012:
"Blue Monday was a seismic change in the kind of material that we were writing and was a big commercial hit really. It was a big hit! I remember when it first came out people were like “What’s this, this doesn’t sound like New Order” everything about it, the way it looked was different."
"The reason we wrote the song was because we were getting grief about not doing encores, we’d write a song where you could just go on and press the button for all the machines...They [lyrics] weren’t literally about this but we were getting a lot of shit in the press at the time. The press has turned on us after Joy Division who could do no wrong. They were all against us and I felt a bit beleaguered and it was a kind of fuck you to the press really. That’s kind of what was in my head when I wrote it, it was a kind of a fuck you we can do it without you and we did, with that song."
"Blue Monday" (original music video, 1983)
New Order's Gillian Gilbert provided more details on "Blue Monday" in a February 2013 interview with the Guardian:
"Blue Monday was meant to be robotic, the idea being that we could walk on stage and do it without playing the instruments ourselves. We spent days trying to get a robot voice to sing "How does it feel?", but somebody wiped the track. Bernard ended up singing it. He says the lyric came about because he was fed up with journalists asking him how he felt. The lines about the beach and the harbour were the start of his many nautical references – he loves sailing. And Peter Hook's bassline was nicked from an Ennio Morricone film soundtrack."
New Order are big fans of Kraftwerk - "Blue Monday" includes a sample off "Uranium" from Kraftwerk's album Radioactivity. Johnny Marr, who worked with Bernard Sumner in Electronic, recently told a story about Sumner talking up synth techniques with Kraftwerk's Karl Bartos in a recording studio back in the 90s:
"We went in the studio and Bernard said, "what synth did you use on that, and how'd you make that?" And Karl's going, "oh I just switched this box on it, and went like that." And Bernard said, "NO! Wow! In New Order we tried to make that sound, we took four days making it, I turned this upside down, and I stuck that wire into that, and I put this microphone into that." Karl said, "Oh, well maybe we should be sampling New Order."
Marr's BBC interview with the story on Karl Bartos/Bernard Sumner:
"Blue Monday" (live performance)
New Order still plays "Blue Monday" at live shows. Last year Bernard Sumner was asked if he hates the song (and playing it) now and he said, "I don't hate it, but after you've played it so many times, you can't appreciate it. That song's been very good to us. People want to hear "Blue Monday" and they've got a right to..."
Watch Bernard's comments in the video below:
The sleeve for "Blue Monday" is almost as famous as the music itself - designer Peter Saville created the artwork after being intrigued by a floppy disk. From a 2011 feature on Saville in the Guardian:
"I thought it was a beautiful object. At the time, computers were in offices, not art studios. The floppy disc informs the design and the colour coding was from my interest in aesthetics determined by machines. It reflected the hieroglyphic visual language of the machine world. For example, the numbers in your cheque book aren’t really for you, they’re for a machine to read"
Legend has it, Factory lost money on the 12" because the sleeve for the original pressing of record was so expensive. The original pressing featured a die-cut sleeve with cut-outs and a silver inner sleeve. Subsequent pressings featured a replication of the artwork with plain black sleeves and was much less expensive to produce. Peter Saville said he was unaware of the cost of the sleeve. From the February 2013 interview in the Guardian:
"Tony Wilson loved to say the sleeve was so expensive they lost 5p per copy. But it's unlikely; Factory never talked budgets. Nobody ever said to me: "This is a costly sleeve." No one sent me a copy, either; I had to go to a record shop. The record sold so quickly that the version I bought had a black sleeve but no holes. The printers hadn't been able to keep up with demand, so had banged out a cheaper version. I don't know how many thousands were sold that way, or whether Factory were charged the full price for something they didn't get, which would be very Factory. But I'm pleased it's a legendary cover for what turned out to be a classic track: the principal moment of conversion between progressive rock and dance. Similarly, colour codes have become widespread in graphic design."
The color code Saville mentions in the interview was used not only with the artwork for "Blue Monday," but was also included on three other Factory releases: "Confusion," and Power, Corruption and Lies by New Order, plus the first pressing of Section 25's album From The Hip.
"Confusion"
Power, Corruption and Lies
Section 25 From The Hip (original pressing)
The color code spells out the catalog number of the release and release title. A more indepth explanation is discussed here. Take a look at the color code below:
A few years after the release of "Blue Monday" an advertising agency representing Sunkist expressed interested in using New Order's song for a new ad campaign. New Order reworked the lyrics and recorded a demo for the agency in 1987, but Sunkist ended up not approving the idea; thus the ad never aired. The demo eventually made the rounds online after being included in a New Order documentary. Check out the Sunkist demo below and read the backstory (including recent comments from Peter Hook) here.
Sunkist demo
Several bands have covered "Blue Monday" over the years including Orgy, Nouvelle Vague, Jolly Boys, Autoramas, and most recently Clan of Xymox. The Clan of Xymox cover appears on their 2012 covers album Kindred Spirits which also includes reworkings of songs by Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Radiohead.
Clan Of Xymox "Blue Monday"
To wrap things up, here's a glimpse at my personal (non-first pressing) copy of "Blue Monday"
My copy isn't rare, but it does have one unique feature - it's labeled incorrectly (side A should have side B's label, and vice versa).
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
R.E.M. also revealed a limited edition five song ep, Live in Greensboro, will be released for Record Store Day. The ep includes five tracks omitted from the double disc Green reissue due to space constraints, and comes along with a non-reproduction patch (recently discovered in the band's vault!) Only 2500 copies of Live In Greensboro ep will be pressed.
The tracklisting for the reissues is posted below. For more on the Green 25th anniversary reissue, visit the official R.E.M. website.
"World Leader Pretend" (from Tourfilm, 1990)
Disc One – Original Album
1. “Pop Song 89”
2. “Get Up”
3. “You Are The Everything”
4. “Stand”
5. “World Leader Pretend”
6. “The Wrong Child”
7. “Orange Crush”
8. “Turn You Inside Out”
9. “Hairshirt”
10. “I Remember California”
11. “Untitled”
Disc Two – Live In Greensboro 1989
1. “Stand”
2. “The One I Love”
3. “Turn You Inside Out”
4. “Belong”
5. “Exhuming McCarthy”
6. “Good Advices”
7. “Orange Crush”
8. “Cuyahoga”
9. “These Days”
10. “World Leader Pretend”
11. “I Believe”
12. “Get Up”
13. “Life And How To Live It”
14. “Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”
15. “Pop Song 89”
16. “Fall On Me”
17. “You Are The Everything”
18. “Begin The Begin”
19. “Low”
20. “Finest Worksong”
21. “Perfect Circle”
Live in Greensboro EP – Record Store Day Exclusive
1. “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)”
2. “Feeling Gravitys Pull”
3. “Strange”
4. “King of Birds”
5. “I Remember California”
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Last week Iggy and the Stooges announced their new album Ready To Die will be released April 30th. Today the first taste of new music from the album was released - take a listen to the rockin' track "Burn" below:
The Stooges have announced a handful of live gigs (including an appearance at next week's South By Southwest festival in Austin). More live dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, if you haven't checked out the promo videos Iggy Pop premiered last week, take a look at both videos below:
Iggy and the Stooges Interview from Fat Possum Records on Vimeo.
The Stooges have announced a handful of live gigs (including an appearance at next week's South By Southwest festival in Austin). More live dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Meanwhile, if you haven't checked out the promo videos Iggy Pop premiered last week, take a look at both videos below:
Iggy and the Stooges Interview from Fat Possum Records on Vimeo.
OMD return with the new album English Electric on April 9th. The first official single, "Metroland" debuted a few weeks ago, and will be available as a digital single on March 25th. Stream "Metroland" and the Roger Erickson remix of "Metroland" below and catch up with OMD on their official site.
"Metroland" (album version)
"Metroland" (Roger Erickson remix)
North American tour
04/05 - Vancouver @ Commodore Ballroom
04/06 - Seattle @ Seattle Showbox
04/07 - Portland @ Wonder Ballroom
04/10 - Salt Lake City @ The Depot
04/12 - San Francisco @ Regency Ballroom
04/14 - Coachella
04/15 - Los Angeles @ Fonda Theater
04/18 - Mexico City @ Teatro Metropolitan
04/21 - Coachella (Weekend 2)
07/11 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/12 - Philadelphia @ Union Transfer
07/13 - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
07/15 - Boston @ Paradise Rock Club
07/17 - New York City @ Terminal 5
07/19 - Toronto @ Danforth Music Hall
07/20 - Detroit @ St. Andrew's Hall
07/22 - Minneapolis @ Varsity Theater (rescheduled from July 8th)
07/23 - Chicago @ The Metro (rescheduled from July 9th)
Bob Mould has been on the road supporting his album Silver Age. He recently stopped by New York's Q104.3 for a short interview - he talked about Hüsker Dü's first show (a matinee with the Replacements!), how he came to work with Dave Grohl, and his short stint as a script writer for the WWE. Watch the interview below:
Mould's ex-bandmate Grant Hart is the subject of a new feature length documentary titled Every Everything, the Music, Life and Times of Grant Hart. The film was directed by Gorman Bechard, (directed the Replacements' film Color Me Obsessed) and is a look back at Hart's life, influences, music, and art - the good, the bad and the ugly - as told by Hart himself. The film is expected to premiere this summer at film festivals, and a Kickstarter campaign has been launched to help fund the final sound mix for the film. Visit the Kickstarter campaign here and take a look at the trailer for Every Everything, the Music, Life and Times of Grant Hart below.
Grant Hart will return with a double album titled The Argument, based on John Milton's Paradise Lost, this summer (date to be announced). Hart also spent some time recently on Facebook answering fan questions - he discussed the upcoming documentary, as well as a host of other topics, including old school band reunions. Read what Hart had to say about reunions below:
"If I would have had the chance to see Gene Vincent when I was twenty I would have been crazy happy. But somehow the reunion fad seems to be energized by mid-life crisis. I am sure Bob would agree with me on this, I would rather have Grant Hart fans coming to my own shows than Hüsker Dü fans. Or Nova Mob fans. I want people coming that don't feel like they are settling for something less. My shows are not compromises with the past. My shows are as much about the future as I can make them. And the future is right fucking now! I have run into bands having a bad time of it reuniting for a tour. Bummed out and discouraged. What did they do it for if it did not make them happy to do it?"
The full Q & A is posted here. Catch up with Grant Hart on Facebook and Twitter.
Mould's ex-bandmate Grant Hart is the subject of a new feature length documentary titled Every Everything, the Music, Life and Times of Grant Hart. The film was directed by Gorman Bechard, (directed the Replacements' film Color Me Obsessed) and is a look back at Hart's life, influences, music, and art - the good, the bad and the ugly - as told by Hart himself. The film is expected to premiere this summer at film festivals, and a Kickstarter campaign has been launched to help fund the final sound mix for the film. Visit the Kickstarter campaign here and take a look at the trailer for Every Everything, the Music, Life and Times of Grant Hart below.
Grant Hart will return with a double album titled The Argument, based on John Milton's Paradise Lost, this summer (date to be announced). Hart also spent some time recently on Facebook answering fan questions - he discussed the upcoming documentary, as well as a host of other topics, including old school band reunions. Read what Hart had to say about reunions below:
"If I would have had the chance to see Gene Vincent when I was twenty I would have been crazy happy. But somehow the reunion fad seems to be energized by mid-life crisis. I am sure Bob would agree with me on this, I would rather have Grant Hart fans coming to my own shows than Hüsker Dü fans. Or Nova Mob fans. I want people coming that don't feel like they are settling for something less. My shows are not compromises with the past. My shows are as much about the future as I can make them. And the future is right fucking now! I have run into bands having a bad time of it reuniting for a tour. Bummed out and discouraged. What did they do it for if it did not make them happy to do it?"
The full Q & A is posted here. Catch up with Grant Hart on Facebook and Twitter.
Monday, March 4, 2013
An acoustic session Paul Weller recorded for KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic appeared online earlier this week. Weller recorded the session in September 2005, while on the road promoting his album As Is Now - the session includes several songs from the album as well as a short interview with Weller. Stream the session below:
Morning Becomes Eclectic with Paul Weller (September 2005)
01. Intro
02. The Start Of Forever
03. All On A Misty Morning
04. Come On Let's Go
05. Wishing On A Star
06. interview
07. Savages
08. Roll Along Summer
09. Out Of The Sinking
10. He's The Keeper
11. Outro
Morning Becomes Eclectic with Paul Weller (September 2005)
01. Intro
02. The Start Of Forever
03. All On A Misty Morning
04. Come On Let's Go
05. Wishing On A Star
06. interview
07. Savages
08. Roll Along Summer
09. Out Of The Sinking
10. He's The Keeper
11. Outro
Peter Murphy is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Bauhaus with a North American tour titled Mr. Midnight Tour, where Murphy will perform Bauhaus classics. A Detroit show was confirmed earlier today for May 13th at the Magic Stick. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday, March 8th at 10am through Ticketweb.
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