Idlewild

New Releases: Hilary Duff, Click Five, Rick James, 311, Taproot, Idlewild, Cowboy Junkies

15 Aug 2005 09:43:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday are reissues and new LPs by Killers, Stooges, Madness, Brad Paisley.
By Kurt Orzeck

Hilary Duff's Most Wanted
Photo: Hollywood Records

Mmm ... Duff: Hilary Duff's Most Wanted comes clean with three new songs ("Wake Up," "Beat of My Heart," "Break My Heart") produced by the Dead Executives — OK, the secret's out, it's the Madden brothers — but if those tracks and a few remixes aren't enough to tide you over, a "signature collector's edition" has four additional cuts (an acoustic "Who's That Girl"; an alternate "Jericho"; a dance remix of "Party Up"; and another new song, "Supergirl"), four "autographed" photo cards, a different album cover and a wristband.

Click Here: Dapperly dressed Berklee College of Music grads the Click Five, who've played with everyone from Ashlee Simpson to Rod Stewart (?!), removed the cover of the Tiffany staple "I Think We're Alone Now," which appeared on promo versions of their debut, Greetings From Imrie House, and tacked on a sendup of the Thompson Twins' "Lies" instead. Other highlights: "Just the Girl" (first single), "Catch Your Wave" and "Angel to You (Devil to Me)," co-written by Kiss' Paul Stanley and Cars guitarist Elliott Easten, who also lends some licks.

A Funk Eternal: Rick James gets a few touching goodbyes on Rick James Forever, from Johnny Gil and Howard Hewitt on "Just Got Played," and from daughter Ty on the closing track, "My Life." Other tracks on the posthumous release include the vintage-James-titled "When Your Body's Mine," "Freak Baby" and "Sex Slave."

Because Platinum Isn't Enough: The Killers' "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll" has thoroughly infected radio, prompting a limited-edition re-press of the band's successful debut, Hot Fuss, along with two more B-sides, "The Ballad of Michael Valentine" and "Under the Gun." This one's got a straight-black cover, so you have no excuse for getting confused.

The 411 on Tread: A few additional 311 tracks have been hitting the pavement along with the band's Don't Tread on Me. iTunes offered the album's 11 songs plus bonus track "Little Brother" and two live slices prior to the release date; subsequently, it's offering just "Little Brother." But there's more: Early birds can get a free vinyl 7-inch at participating stores. Album tracks include "Thank Your Lucky Stars," "Whiskey & Wine" and "Long for the Flowers," a revised outtake from Transistor that was originally called "Grifters."

Covering the Bases: Madness go the way of the cover song on The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One, polishing off Diana Ross & the Supremes ("You Keep Me Hanging On"), the Kinks ("Lola") and Bob Marley ("So Much Trouble"). In the meantime, Cowboy Junkies use their Early 21st Century Blues to reinterpret Bruce Springsteen ("Brothers Under the Bridge," "You're Missing"), U2 ("One") and Bob Dylan ("License to Kill") — which could have qualified them for Drive-Thru's two-disc Listen to Bob Dylan, bristling with tips-o'-the-hat from Jason Mraz, Something Corporate and Rx Bandits.

Blood on the Tracks: "Blood on My Hands" (Todd Agnew's Reflection of Something), "Fist Wrapped in Blood" (Silverstein's Discovering the Waterfront), "The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears" (Machine Head's "Elegies" DVD).

Four for the Road: BoDeans and Magic Slim recorded their live albums at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California, respectively. Also, "Alcohol" is the first single on Brad Paisley's salute to the sauce, Time Well Wasted; and Waco Brothers cough up "Drinkin' & Cheatin' & Death" on Freedom and Weep.

Song Titles Of The Week:

"Whacko Jacko Steals the Elephant Man's Bones," "Macaulay McCulkin" (The Fall of Troy's Doppelgänger)

Other Notables:

Taproot - Blue-Sky Research (Atlantic): Seeing as how it's been nearly three years since Taproot's Welcome, it may come as no surprise that the band came up with around 80 songs for Blue-Sky Research, with 13 cuts making the cut. Despite being on tour with Chevelle, they've managed to find time to shoot a video for the first single, "Calling." Other selections include "Lost in the Woods," "Violent Seas" and "Promise," all co-written by Billy Corgan.

Idlewild - Warnings/Promises (Capitol): The Scots seem to be snoozing on their fourth record, with songs like "As if I Hadn't Slept," "Too Long Awake" and "Goodnight," which ultimately puts the LP to rest. Released in March across the pond, this is the first album to feature the band's new bassist, Gavin Fox, and longtime touring guitarist, Allan Stewart.

Johnny Cash - The Legend: Limited Edition (Columbia/Legacy): The $329.98 price tag on this box-set-on-steroids might make you cry, cry, cry, but if you're a diehard fan, start filling up the piggybank. Unlike the standard set released earlier this month, this one has a 12-by-16-inch lithograph portrait and a hardback book of the same size. Plus there's a fifth disc, "Johnny Cash on the Air," featuring a 1955 recording of the Man in Black's first time on the radio, and a DVD containing a 1980 TV special.

Out Tuesday, August 16:

New releases:

Todd Agnew - Reflection of Something (Ardent)
Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring - The Battle: Live at Smoke (HighNote)
Aly & AJ - Into the Rush (Hollywood)
American Minor - American Minor (Red Ink/ Jive)
Marc Antoine - Modern Times (Rendezvous Entertainment)
Eddy Arnold - After All These Years (RCA Nashville)
The Banner - Each Breath Haunted (Ferret)
BEDlight for BlueEYES - The Dawn (Trustkill)
David Benoit - Orchestral Stories (Peak/Concord)
Elvin Bishop - Gettin' My Groove Back (Blind Pig)
BoDeans - Homebrewed: Live From the Pabst (two CDs, Back Porch)
Buy Now: Homebrewed: Live From the Pabst (Back Porch)
Michael Brooks & Royal Priesthood - Michael Brooks & Royal Priesthood (Comin' Atcha)
The Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House (Lava)
Buy Now: Greetings From Imrie House (Lava)
Read: "Click Five Winning Over Soccer Moms On Ashlee Simpson Tour"
Shemekia Copeland - The Soul Truth (Alligator)
Buy Now: The Soul Truth (Alligator)
Cowboy Junkies - Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe/Rounder)
Buy Now: Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe/Rounder)
Joe Craven - Django Latino (Compass)
Rodney Crowell - The Outsider (Columbia)
Buy Now: The Outsider (Columbia)
Cuban Link - Chain Reaction (Mob)
Buy Now: Chain Reaction (Mob)
Dirty - Hood Stories (Asylum/Rap-A-Lot)
Hilary Duff - Most Wanted (Hollywood)
Buy Now: Most Wanted (Hollywood)
Read: "Cheaper By The Duo? Hilary Duff Teams Up With Madden Brothers For New LP"
Aydin Esen, Anthony Jackson, Dave Liebman and Steve Smith - Flashpoint (Tone Center)
The Fall of Troy - Doppelgänger (Equal Vision)
Flotation Toy Warning - Bluffers Guide to the Flight Deck (Misra)
Foghorn Stringband - Weiser Sunrise (Nettwerk)
Gang Gang Dance - Hillulah (EP, Social Registry)
Philip Gayle - The Mommy Row (Family Vineyard)
Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Come on Back (Rounder)
Goapele - Change It All (Columbia)
Buy Now: Change It All (Columbia)
Johnny Casino's Easy Action - We've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know (Steel Cage)
Hanna-McEuen - Hanna-McEuen (DreamWorks Nashville)
Harsh Krieger - Harsh Krieger (Megaforce)
Idlewild - Warnings/Promises (Capitol)
Buy Now: Warnings/Promises (Capitol)
Rick James - Rick James Forever (Sanctuary Urban)
Buy Now: Rick James Forever (Sanctuary Urban)
Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown - Celebration: Live at the Triad (HighNote)
Madness - The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One (V2)
Buy Now: The Dangermen Sessions, Volume One (V2)
Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Anything Can Happen (Blind Pig)
Bill Mays Trio - Live at Jazz Standard (Palmetto)
Tony McManus & Alain Genty - Singing Sands (Compass)
George McRae - Latest and Greatest Hits (Empire Musicwerks)
Malcolm Middleton - Into the Woods (Chemikal Underground)
Bart Millard - Hymned No. 1 (DualDisc same day; INO)
Mira - There I Go Daydreamer (Projekt)
Mr. Capone-E - A Soldier's Story (Thump)
Nazarenes - Songs of Life (Heartbeat/Rounder)
Salim Nourallah - Beautiful Noise (Western Vinyl)
Oxes - Oxes EP (Monitor)
Rocky Padilla - R&B Legend of the Underground (Thump)
Brad Paisley - Time Well Wasted (Arista)
Buy Now: Time Well Wasted (Arista)
Papa Reu - Life & Music (Sanctuary Urban)
Pras - Win Lose or Draw (Universal)
Buy Now: Win Lose or Draw (Universal)
Trevor Rabin - "The Great Raid" soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande)
Randy Rogers Band - Live at Billy Bob's (Image)
Side Sixty Seven - Beyond Warped Live Music Series (DualDisc, Immergent)
The Siegel-Schwall Band - Flash Forward (Alligator)
Silverstein - Discovering the Waterfront (Victory)
Sleeping People - Sleeping People (Temporary Residence)
Stryper - Reborn (Big3)
Taproot - Blue-Sky Research (Atlantic)
Buy Now: Blue-Sky Research (Atlanti)
Read: "Taproot Tap Billy Corgan To Help Them Craft New LP"
10 Years - The Autumn Effect (Republic/Universal)
311 - Don't Tread on Me (Volcano)
Buy Now: Don't Tread on Me (Volcano)
3rd Degree - The Pedestrian (Black Ice)
Totalisti - Slaves to None (Magna Carta)
Tren Brothers - The Swimmer EP (Western Vinyl)
Unstable Ensemble - Embers (Family Vineyard)
Waco Brothers - Freedom and Weep (Bloodshot)
Jimmy Webb - Twilight of the Renegades (Sanctuary)
Buy Now: Twilight of the Renegades (Sanctuary)
A Wilhelm Scream - Ruiner (Nitro)
Windsor for the Derby - Giving Up the Ghost (Secretly Canadian)
Abdel Wright - Abdel Wright (Weapons of Mass Entertainment/ Interscope)
Xeronimo - Xeronimo (Universal Latino)
Various artists - Hands Across the Water: A Benefit for the Children of the Tsunami (Compass)
Various artists - Listen to Bob Dylan (Drive-Thru)
Various artists - Luaka Bop Remix (Luaka Bop)
Various artists - This Is Americana, Vol. 2 (American Music Association)
Various artists - "Valiant" soundtrack (Disney)

Notable reissues:

Johnny Cash - The Legend: Limited Edition (box set, Columbia/Legacy)
Dr. Israel - Inna City Pressure (two bonus tracks, ROIR)
Ahmad Jamal - The Legendary Okeh and Epic Recordings (Epic/Legacy)
Killers - Hot Fuss: Limited Edition (Island)
Buy Now: Hot Fuss: Limited Edition (Island)
Taj Mahal - The Essential Taj Mahal (Columbia/ Private Music/ Legacy)
Gerry Mulligan - Jeru (Columbia/Legacy)
Tito Puente - The Essential Tito Puente (RCA/Legacy)
Ramones - Weird Tales of the Ramones (box set, Rhino)
Artie Shaw - The Essential Artie Shaw (Bluebird/Legacy)
Woody Shaw - Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia/Legacy)
Horace Silver - Silver's Blue (Columbia/Legacy)
Stooges - Fun House (deluxe edition, Rhino)
Stooges - The Stooges (deluxe edition, Rhino)
Frank Zappa - Bongo Fury, Fillmore East, Freak Out!, Läther (box set, Rykodisc)
Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
Frank Zappa - Roxy and Elsewhere (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
Frank Zappa - Weasels Ripped My Flesh (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)
Frank Zappa - Zappa in New York (remastered with mini album-jacket sleeve, Rykodisc)

DVDs:

Judy Collins - "Pop Legends Live" (SRO)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "Beyond the Beginning" (Sanctuary)
Dizzy Gillespie - "Live in London" (Kultur)
Benny Goodman - "At the Tivoli" (Kultur)
Helloween - "Hellish Videos: The Complete Video Collection" (BMG)
Herman's Hermits - "Pop Legends Live" (SRO)
Chaka Khan - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
Abbey Lincoln - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
Machine Head - "Elegies" (Roadrunner)
Magic Slim & the Teardrops - "Anything Can Happen" (live; Blind Pig)
Randy Rogers Band - "Live at Billy Bob's" (Image)
Sarah Vaughan - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
Nancy Wilson - "Great Women Singers of the 20th Century" (Kultur)
Various artists- "The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons" (featuring David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Janis Joplin and more; Shout! Factory)
Various artists- "Jamboree" (Warner Bros.)

Coming Attractions:

August 23:

Björk - "Drawing Restraint 9" soundtrack (One Little Indian)
Jim Jones - Harlem: Diary of a Summer (Koch)
Buy Now: Harlem: Diary of a Summer (Koch)
Kurupt - Against the Grain (Death Row)
Buy Now: Against the Grain (Death Row)

August 30:

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (Atlantic)
Buy Now: Plans (Atlantic)
Read: "Death Cab For Cutie Living Up To The 'Death' Part On Next LP"
Rihanna - Music of the Sun (Def Jam)
Buy Now: Music of the Sun (Def Jam)
Kanye West - Late Registration (Def Jam)
Buy Now: Late Registration (Def Jam)
Read: " 'Can He Do It Again?' — Kanye West Says New LP Backs Up His Bragging"

September 6:

50 Cent - The Massacre (re-release, Interscope)
Buy Now: The Massacre (Interscope)
Sarah McLachlan - Sarah McLachlan in Bloom (remix album, Arista)
The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
Buy Now: A Bigger Bang (Virgin)
Read: "Rolling Stones Announce World Tour, Unveil New Song"

Related Artists

Iggy, Beasties, White Stripes Lead Three-Pronged Invasion At Coachella

28 Apr 2003 07:39:00 EDT

Though event took place in California, it was all about England, New York and Detroit.
By Ryan J. Downey and Corey Moss

Beastie Boy Mike D at the 2003 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Photo: BarryBrecheisen

INDIO, California — If not for the palm trees and smoldering temperatures, it would've been easy to forget that the Coachella festival was in the Southern California desert.

This past weekend, Queens of the Stone Age and Ben Harper gave homecoming performances of sorts (both are from nearby towns) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson and Black Eyed Peas made the two-hour drive from Los Angeles, but for the most part it was all about England, New York and Detroit. (Click to see photos from the festival.)

From England came Blur, Johnny Marr and Primal Scream, along with the bubbling-under Libertines, the Music, South, Badly Drawn Boy, Gomez, Groove Armada and countless DJs. New York brought Saturday's headliner, a standout show from the Beastie Boys, and fellow icons Sonic Youth, along with Interpol, Fischerspooner, the Rapture and the Mooney Suzuki. There's only two of them, but the White Stripes had no problem representing Detroit's garage scene, while the Von Bondies and Whirlwind Heat were two of the most talked about breakthrough bands on the bill.

Coachella featured more than 75 acts playing on five stages over two days. Here's a rundown on some of the more memorable performances:

The Beastie Boys took the stage Saturday without their instruments, but DJ Mix Master Mike more than made up for it with his own ill communication, tweaking every track and mixing in beats from Missy Elliott's "Work It" and Erik Sermon's "React." The trio rapped parts of at least three new tracks, all of which had the hip-hop simplicity of their latest single, the anti-war anthem "In a World Gone Mad." Mostly, though, the set was heavy on party starters — "Root Down," "Body Movin'," "So What'cha Want," "Intergalactic" and even a bit of the old gem "Brass Monkey" — a sharp contrast to Adam "MCA" Yauch's political banter between songs. "At the next election, vote anyone but Bush," he said at one point.
Like the Beasties, the Chili Peppers focused their headlining slot on keeping the sun-drenched festival-goers on their feet. Though the band mellowed some on last year's By the Way, their hit-filled live show Sunday was as energetic as ever. Short of sporting only socks, the guys were their old selves, jumping around like caged animals, spouting random dialogue and giving it away now.
N.E.R.D.'s one-hour set on Saturday was a bit misleading, as the first half was all Spymob, the Minneapolis rock group that doubles as N.E.R.D.'s live band, performing Police-inspired songs from their upcoming debut. When Pharrell Williams and company finally came out, they played three songs before taking a break so friend Kenna could sing his new single. For a finale, Williams brought out Kelly Osbourne and Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am for "Rock Star," though Osbourne proved hardly that, running offstage midway through.
"Who here doesn't like the Hives?" singer Pelle Almqvist asked, silencing the crowd. "Who here came for the Hives?" he followed to a deafening roar. "Point taken." Obnoxious confidence is part of their shtick, but he did make a point. Both the Hives Saturday and the White Stripes Sunday drew enormous crowds curious to hear two of last year's breakthrough bands.
In their sharp formalwear, Interpol easily rivaled the Hives for best dressed. The NYC band conjured its swanky interpretation of Joy Division, combining bleak atmosphere with pop hooks, and delivered nearly flawless renditions of songs from Turn on the Bright Light. Despite going up against the Chili Peppers, Interpol generated a large crowd that even lingered for a good while in hopes of an encore that never came.
While "Song 2" and "Girls and Boys" generated the loudest response, Saturday's crowd was quite receptive to the moody and eclectic tracks a retooled Blur previewed from their forthcoming Think Tank. Frontman Damon Albarn dedicated a song to the late Joe Strummer during a set that mixed Think Tank tunes like the infectious "Crazy Beat" with Britpop classics like "Beetlebum."
"Scottish people and the desert don't mix very well," Idlewild singer Roddy Woomble joked Saturday afternoon. The floppy-haired lads struggled against the sweltering heat as they began "Little Discourage" from 2000's 100 Broken Windows, but they'd found their places by the song's chorus, easing smoothly into several of the driving and emotive tunes from this year's The Remote Part and earlier tracks like "I'm a Message" and "Roseability."
Damon Gough was dressed even more poorly for the weather, sporting the cap, beard and thick denim that have become synonymous with his Badly Drawn Boy persona. Gough, more than willing to show off his prowess with a guitar, harmonica and piano, even sang about playing Coachella. "I was told I was headlining the show," he crooned with his typical combination of wit, self-effacement and mock arrogance. "And I am, 'cause that's how I feel."
Despite sound problems, Hot Hot Heat gave a blistering performance that brought over a herd of VIPs, including Tony Hawk and Kelly Osbourne, who were singing the catchy "Bandages" like everyone else when the show was over. The problems escalated as the night went on, and ended with the Libertines playing only two songs — not good for their first U.S. performance. Organizers squeezed them back in on Sunday so Stateside tastemakers could see the band British journalists are calling the next Strokes.
Anyone expecting an explosion similar to their former band's musical bombast may have been disappointed by ex-At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez's set with the Mars Volta on Sunday. Latin rhythms and long percussive jams were the name of the game as Bixler's nearly Whitesnake-like falsetto soared over every hacky sack and Frisbee game on the far reaches of the field while Rodriquez split his time between barely distorted picking (with scarcely a metallic palm mute to be found) and effects-drenched noise.
Ben Folds played only the keys in his largely improvisational set, which ended with the singer/songwriter bringing "Song for the Dumped" to a crawl and ad-libbing vulgar yet hilarious lyrics. In a similarly fun set Saturday, Ben Kweller played a little piano, too, spewing out some of the poppiest songs of the weekend.
On Sunday, Jack White and Juliette Lewis took in an early show from bare-bones rockers the Von Bondies in the Mojave Tent. Later, Los Angeles' Rooney finally gave that stage something that sounded local, blending Beach Boys-like harmonies with Phantom Planet-like tunes (singer Robert Carmine is Jason Schwartzman's brother). And finally, Fischerspooner treated a packed tent to a theatrical show complete with choreographed routines from dancers in feather hair extensions and fishnet bodysuits. The only group that could compete with that kind of spectacle was the Blue Man Group, who closed out their visual orgy with a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Reilly."
A legion of Smiths fans gathered to catch a glimpse of former guitarist Johnny Marr and his backup band the Healers on Sunday, with so many of them proudly rocking vintage Morrissey T-shirts and tattoos that it almost seemed as if Marr's post-Smiths work with Electronic and other artists had never happened. Despite being cut short by organizers, Marr delivered a laid-back but potent performance of swirling tunes punctuated by his smooth croon. Much-buzzed-about English upstarts the Music were even more psychedelic the night before, invoking the spirit of the Stone Roses and basking in the glow of an impressive light show.
While a majority of the rock bands at Coachella pounded out fierce odes to the Velvet Underground and the Clash, there were a few who offered a soundtrack for enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the venue. Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and G. Love & Special Sauce all gathered huge audiences who toasted warm beers to their blends of blues and folk.
In the group's first performance in more than 25 years, the Stooges (with Mike Watt on bass) treated Sunday's crowd to classics like "TV Eye" and "Fun House." Even those who had no idea who the group was ("Iggy who?" a security guard near the stage asked a friend) were able to enjoy Iggy Pop's erratic stage demeanor.
Though Ian MacKaye has been notoriously particular about when, where and how he'll be interviewed during the two decades he's run Dischord Records and played in bands like the Teen Idles, Embrace and Fugazi, the two question-and-answer sessions he submitted to at Coachella were total free-for-alls, with kids asking him about everything from straight edge to music, politics, tour stories and the time he was kicked out of Disneyland. One member of the crowd asked the 41-year-old punk icon why he was willing to appear at an expensive festival while Fugazi refuse to play shows with high door prices. "My friend Patti Smith was saying that anyone who has a chance to get in front of a microphone right now and say they're against war should do so," he replied.
Is Dallas the next Detroit? Two of the most talked about Coachella performances came from that city's Polyphonic Spree, whose 23 members offered a truly original orchestral pop sound, and Eisley, the female-fronted rock quintet handpicked for Coldplay's summer tour.
Coachella would not be complete without surprises, and while Radiohead rumors proved untrue, Perry Farrell did pop into the tiny Gobi Tent for a surprise DJ set that mixed house music with the kind of tropicalia he explored on his solo album. Farrell's appearance makes him the only artist to play every Coachella.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

Related Artists

Placebo Stumble Through Set Of Black Market Music

14 May 2001 08:40:00 EDT

Led by inebriated frontman Brian Molko, the band focused on its latest album Sunday evening.
By Jennifer Elks

Brian Molko at Slim's in San Francisco on Sunday.
Photo: John Shearer

SAN FRANCISCO — Placebo singer Brian Molko set the tone for Sunday night's show with his first comments to the crowd: "You'll have to indulge me, pretentious f---er that I am."

With the help of Molko's between-song banter ("Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Brian Molko, and I am an alcoholic"), the British glam-rockers kept a packed Slim's rocking and moshing for 90 minutes, throwing a few older nuggets into the set, but focusing on their third and most recent album, Black Market Music. They kicked off the set with the melodic "Haemoglobin" and quickly gained momentum via the Without You I'm Nothing rocker "Scared of Girls" and "36 Degrees," the sole offering from their 1996 self-titled debut.

When several fans shouted for that album's first single, "Nancy Boy," Molko scoffed, "'Nancy Boy'? In the history of the world, a song as f---ing stupid as 'Nancy Boy' has not been written." The chatty Molko apologized repeatedly for being drunk and proved it by forgetting the first verse of "Every You Every Me," laughing and finally getting back on track by the third verse. Statuesque bassist Stefan Olsdal, who doubled on guitar, filled in vocals on "Without You I'm Nothing," while Molko knelt on the stage, lazily strumming his guitar.

The singer returned to the mic to belt out Queens of the Stone Age's "Feel Good Hit of the Summer," which fit the theme of the evening with its mantra of "Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy, alcohol," and played a double-whammy for the moshers — the back-to-back Black Market singles "Special K" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Taste in Men."

Placebo revealed their sweeter side during the ballad "My Sweet Prince," and Molko played piano on "Peeping Tom" and the lilting "Leni," a B-side to "Slave to the Wage." Rapper Justin Warfield, who provided the rapped tirade in "Spite & Malice", returned to add the laundry list from "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" to the final encore, "Pure Morning."

The evening began with a short, tight set of vigorous pop-punk from Scottish rockers Idlewild. Despite problems with singer Roddy Woomble's mic, the group tore through 10 songs in 40 minutes, getting the crowd moving with "Little Discourage" (RealAudio excerpt) and "I Don't Have a Map" from their latest album, 100 Broken Windows, released in the U.S. in March.

The Placebo/Idlewild tour continues Tuesday at the Palace in Hollywood.

Related Artists

Placebo To Launch North American Tour With Idlewild

29 Mar 2001 07:55:00 EST

Placebo's Stefan Olsdal, Brian Molko, and Steve Hewitt
Photo: Kevin Westenberg

After spreading their Black Market Music across Europe in October, British glam-punk trio Placebo will finally release their new album in the U.S. on May 8.

In conjunction with the album's release, Placebo have mapped out plans for an extensive North American trek with Idlewild. The outing's slated to launch April 30 in Detroit and continue through a May 29 gig in New York.

But before their dates with Idlewild, Placebo will play a few Canadian dates with Ether Net as the supporting act, beginning April 26 in Toronto.

"They're real kindred spirits, Idlewild," Placebo frontman Brian Molko said of the Scottish group, which will be touring to support its new release, 100 Broken Windows. "They've done a lot of touring with us in Europe and they're a fantastic band, so it will prove to be a really good show," Molko added. "I just can't get over their new record." Placebo sold more than 100,000 copies of their most recent album, 1998's Without You I'm Nothing — far more than records from such critically lauded British imports as Gomez, Stereophonics and Badly Drawn Boy. They delayed the U.S. release of Black Market Music until they could work out the logistics for an accompanying tour, according to Molko.

"The decision was [made] to release the record ... when we could actually come over and play and take the music to the people, because that, we feel, is our best promotion, really," he said. That's how you gain a loyal following, and that's how bands like U2 and R.E.M. did it. We just wanted to be here when the record came out to give it a bit of momentum by doing some hopefully excellent shows." Based on the album's performance in Europe, where it went top 20 in 12 countries — including top-five appearances in Germany, Greece and France — Placebo are hoping Black Market Music will be an even easier sell for American audiences, who will be served the album's third UK single, "Special K," first.

"That doesn't bother me, to be honest, to release different singles in different countries at different times," Molko said. "I think it's quite interesting to have these different songs just floating around the airwaves." "Special K" already has generated minor controversy in the UK because of its reference to Ketamide, a common veterinary sedative that has become popular on the Euro club scene because of the drug's psychedelic effect on humans.

"It's actually a love song. It's not a song that promotes the use of controlled substances," Molko contended after comparing the track to Sly and the Family Stone's "I Want to Take You Higher." "All it does is kind of compare the rush of coming up on controlled substances to the rush of falling head over heels in love," he said. "An infatuation kind of vibe.

"Ketamide is a horse tranquilizer, and they give it to babies, in really small doses, to stop thrombosis," he continued. "They did experiments with it on astronauts in the U.S. in the '50s in order to create the feeling of anti-gravity. Which is why I don't understand that it's a club drug, because if you feel like you're in anti-gravity, how are you supposed to dance? "[But that explains] the chorus, which goes, 'Gravity/ There's no escaping gravity,' because with ... controlled substances or falling head over heels in love, whatever goes up always comes down." Placebo already shot a video for "Special K" with director Howard Greenhalgh loosely based upon the 1966 sci-fi classic "Fantastic Voyage," a flick in which a group of surgeons are miniaturized so they can internally operate on an important patient.

Dates for Placebo's Black Market Music tour, as provided by the band's label: With Ether Net opening: