Pavement

Coachella 2010 Features Blistering Sets By Jay-Z, Muse, Thom Yorke

19 Apr 2010 09:19:00 EDT

Faith No More, Gorillaz, Pavement and other age-defying acts heat up the desert fest.
By Corey Moss

INDIO, California — Leave it to the least likely star to grace the Coachella headlining stage to best sum up 2010's festival.

"I wanna be forever young," Beyoncé sang as fireworks erupted Friday, helping husband Jay-Z close his much-anticipated set.




	2010 Coachella Music Festival

Not only was there a cavalcade of age-defying acts among the three day festival's 100-some performers, it was often the over-40 club delivering the most commanding sets, Jigga Man included.

Before Jay powered through more than 30 songs on Friday, super group Them Crooked Vultures (featuring Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme) and Street Sweeper Social Club (starring Rage Against the Machine/ Audioslave guitar hero Tom Morello) both won over large crowds — not with familiar songs, but with sheer performance flair. Ditto Thom Yorke, Faith No More, Devo, the Specials, a reunited Pavement and many more throughout the weekend.

Even Coachella itself has improved with age. Now in its 11th year, the festival set attendance records, selling out 75,000 three-day passes. (Single-day tickets were not available for the first time ever.)

Because flights were grounded overseas due to the ash cloud created by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, seven bands missed Coachella, including the Cribs and Frightened Rabbit, as well as Phoenix's light tech. "So, we're just gonna go simple and make it about the music," Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars said, before deftly staying true to that promise.

Also absent was Dr. Dre, who was widely rumored to guest during Jay-Z's set. Actually, with the exception of Beyoncé and his own 10-piece band, Hova had no guests, a bit surprising considering the tall order at hand as the festival's first hip-hop headliner. Instead, Jay relied on his own swagger and arsenal of hits, beginning with "Run This Town" and ending with, of course, "Encore."

As California first lady Maria Shriver enjoyed the set next to Beyoncé and Hayden Panettiere, video screens showed President Obama doing the "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" gesture.

After cheering from the sidelines (and enjoying a cold beer), Beyoncé took the stage with a giant smile and a punk-rock T-shirt with the Never Mind the Bullocks logo (perhaps a nod to Sex Pistol Johnny Lydon, whose Public Image Limited was playing at the next stage over).

Jay, who entered by rising from a platform below the stage, hardly played a song in its entirety and could have done more for this crowd with his rock-leaning songs like "99 Problems." At Glastonbury in 2008, after Noel Gallagher said there was no place for hip-hop at the festival, Jay opened with Oasis's "Wonderwall." His DJ played that song at Coachella too, but it felt out of place in the middle of his set and without context.

As has been his habit at concerts lately, Jay gave several shout-outs to specific crowd members. "To the guy who looks like The Situation," he said to much laughter. It was a genuine, raw moment the set needed.

It was Saturday's headliner, Muse, who clearly delivered the best performance, giving a master class in energizing an audience, beginning with a rollicking "Uprising." And just to ensure that every single person sang along to the epic tune, the words flashed behind them as singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy hit each one. Heck, the band's light and pyro show was worthy of its own Coachella slot.

Bellamy borrowed from the best throughout the 90-minute set, windmilling around the stage like Pete Townsend and picking through the national anthem like Jimi Hendrix. (The Brit also wore an American flag shirt to go along.) He even paid tribute to big band, a genre memorialized across Palm Springs, by crooning Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" from a clear grand piano.

Coachella's best cover actually came from Faith No More, whose Mike Patton took the stage in a red leisure suit and cane, and sang a deadpan rendition of Peaches and Herb's "Reunited" with the fitting chorus, "Reunited and it feels so good." Somehow the song blended right in among classics like "We Care a Lot" and "Epic." It was difficult to hear their hard-fueled rock and not think of all the bands they influenced, from System of a Down to Incubus, whose Brandon Boyd was spotted backstage.

Gorillaz headlined Sunday and got off to a good start with a video of an animated Snoop Dogg introducing the band, who appeared in the flesh. Damon Albarn was in prime vocal form, but the show lacked the visual excitement expected of the group. The animated members rarely appeared, let alone as holograms or anything else. Bonus points, however, for bringing on some real guests, including De La Soul, members of the Clash and Bobby Womack, who sings on the new single "Stylo."

Headlining Sunday's second stage was Thom Yorke, who showcased his own super group, Atoms for Peace, which includes Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The virtuosos made Yorke's solo record The Eraser their playground, inflicting jittery beats and funky bass grooves all over the singer's wide-ranging vocals.

At first the blue-haired Flea looked almost bored, but he quickly got into the show, dancing with Yorke, or whatever you call the shaking they did many times through the 90-minute set. For an encore, Yorke returned solo and played a new song on which he layered his own vocals with looping pedals. Then he treated his fanboy audience (which included Jay-Z and Russell Simmons) to a couple of Radiohead tunes, including "Everything in Its Right Place."

Also playing late, although not intentionally, was Sly Stone, who in perfect Sly fashion, missed his 7 p.m. slot, showed up 40 minutes late to his rescheduled 10:30 slot, and then performed what could only be described as a train wreck. He ranted for 10 minutes about his old manager, stopped songs midway through, forgetting lyrics, and abruptly jumped off the stage and left. Axl Rose has got nothing on this guy.

On the opposite end of the spectrum were Matt & Kim, the band happiest to be playing Coachella, or at least the one who showed it the most. The duo recounted their favorite memories from the weekend ("Beyoncé gave me goose bumps," Matt said), shared manscaping tips and had their very own streaker ("Hooray for that man's penis!" Matt cheered). And the music was just as entertaining, like when the drum (Kim) and keys (Matt) duo broke into "Apache" during the middle of their awesome single "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare." They also pounded ferociously through Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll Part 2."

Other Sunday stand-outs included French sensation Phoenix, who gathered one of the largest crowds of the weekend and whipped them into a frenzy from the opening "Listomania" to the closing "1901" and everything in between. Spoon had the most sing-alongs, but it was Yo La Tengo and Pavement who educated the main stage audience on alternative rock's roots, while Sunny Day Real Estate, featuring Foo Fighters Nate Mendel on bass, reminded the second stage of emo's origins.

Julian Casablancas ignored the desert heat and donned a black leather jacket for a set that included both solo and Strokes material, while Miike Snow took the stage in matching black suits and white masks, looking like a scene out of a Stanley Kubrick movie, and kinda sounding like one too.

On Saturday, maybe it was that Muse and Faith No More were so good, but the highly anticipated MGMT and Dead Weather sets seemed to fall flat. Both acts waited until mid-show to play their best-known material, which can be risky when there are four other stages going at the same time.

Coheed & Cambria are not exactly hit-makers, but the MTV March Madness champions are performers and proved the perfect warm-up for FNM and Muse. For their closing, the Rush-inspired rockers brought out members of the USC marching band, adding to an already full sound.

Band of Skulls turned in a break-out set, putting a more radio-friendly spin on blues rock. Think Wolfmother or the Black Keys meets Blink-182. Other Saturday afternoon highlights included perennial partiers the Gossip (who were also remixed later in the 2 Many DJs set) and A

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2010 Coachella Music Festival

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Sasquatch Festival 2010 Lineup Includes Pavement, Vampire Weekend, MGMT

16 Feb 2010 08:29:00 EST

My Morning Jacket, Wale, Kid Cudi, the National also join three-day festival in Washington May 29-31.
By Kyle Anderson

Even though the terrible winter weather still grips most of the East Coast and the South, there's a light at the end of the tunnel: Festival season is just around the corner. The Coachella lineup has already been announced (featuring Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz), the bands for Bonnaroo have been set (including Weezer, the Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon and Jay-Z again) and rumors are already circulating about the Lollapalooza lineup (Lady Gaga and the reunited Soundgarden are being whispered about).

On Monday night, the latest warm-weather festival announced its full slate of bands. The ninth annual Sasquatch festival, held every year at the picturesque Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, revealed its full lineup during a party at Seattle's Crocodile Café. The indie-centric lineup is lead by the newly reunited Pavement, My Morning Jacket, MGMT and Vampire Weekend.

The three-day festival, which kicks off on Saturday, May 29, and runs through Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day), will also feature sets from a bevy of indie favorites like the National, the Hold Steady, Passion Pit, the Dirty Projectors, No Age, Tegan & Sara, Drive By Truckers, She & Him, Band of Horses and LCD Soundsystem.

It won't be all jangly guitars, though, as Brother Ali, Wale and Kid Cudi will hold down the hip-hop fort. Sasquatch also embraces stand-up comedy, which is why former "Daily Show" correspondent Rob Riggle and Craig Robinson (star of "The Office" and the upcoming "Hot Tub Time Machine") are booked for sets.

More bands will be announced as the opening day of the festival approaches, but in the meantime, presale begins on Wednesday (February 17), and the rest of the tickets will be up for grabs on Saturday (February 20).

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Pavement Reunion Tour Confirmed For 2010

17 Sep 2009 12:22:00 EDT

After 10 years apart, '90s indie rockers have announced concert in New York's Central Park next year.
By James Montgomery

After nearly 10 years, four reissues (and four Stephen Malkmus solo records), one documentary and one fawning, posthumous "band biography," late, lamented indie greats Pavement finally confirmed long-standing rumors that they would be reuniting for a "one-time-only" tour in 2010.

The band — frontman Malkmus, guitarist Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg, bassist Mark Ibold, drummer Steve West and jack-of-all-trades Bob Nastanovich — will take the stage together for the first time since a November 1999 show at London's Brixton Academy, according to a statement released by their longtime label, Matador Records, on Thursday morning (September 17). Their first announced show (no word on whether it's the first actual show) is a September 21, 2010, performance at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.

"Pavement's catalog ... has come to define in the eyes of many the blueprint for independent rock over the past generation," the typically self-effacing statement said. "An evidentiary compilation release is planned to coincide with the touring sometime in 2010. ... Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion."

In other words: Don't get your hopes up. This reunion is a one-and-done type of affair. Pre-sale tickets for the Rumsey Playfield show go on sale Friday (September 18) at 10 a.m. ET. Additional information can be found on the Matador Records blog.

Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 — originally comprising just Malkmus, Kannberg and drummer Gary Young. Over the next decade, they would add and shed members, tour the world and release five influential albums (most notably 1992's Slanted and Enchanted and '94's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain). Their work became a touchstone of '90s indie rock, and they even scored a minor hit ("Cut Your Hair"). After their split in '99, Malkmus went solo, and the other members of Pavement explored various other musical endeavors (Ibold joined Sonic Youth, Kannberg released a trio of albums under the "Preston School of Industry" moniker), but fan demand for a reunion never relented.

News of the reunion actually broke earlier this week on the Brooklyn Vegan music blog, which quoted "reliable sources" as saying Pavement would reunite for "multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage." The blog also speculated that Pavement could headline the 2010 Coachella Festival, though at press time, Matador would only confirm the September 21 show.

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Pavement

How Beck, Modest Mouse Fell Victim To The Pinkerton Effect, In Bigger Than The Sound

11 Jul 2007 08:06:00 EDT

These albums might not have been acclaimed off the bat — like Smashing Pumpkins' Adore — but fans came around.
By James Montgomery

On The Record: Billy Corgan And The Pinkerton Effect

Ever wanted to get tons of irate, condescending e-mails from dudes with handles like "disenchanted_zero," "*sivamOrningstar*" and "paladinofdarkness"? Just write a column in which you: A) take a few potshots at Billy Corgan; B) compare the new Smashing Pumpkins to Perry Farrell's disastrous Satellite Party project; and C) call the band's Zeitgeist album "not much more than the second (or third) Corgan solo record."

That's what I did last week in Bigger Than the Sound, which means it's been "angry e-mails ahoy" for seven days now. Seems Pumpkins fans worldwide don't take kindly to people ripping their chrome-domed leader, and were eager to make me aware of that fact. (Sample missive: "Billy Corgan is not a sell out, or a money whore, and your bias for his actions for bringing HIS band back is just unnecessary ... Zwan was a cry for help, a way for Billy to get back into the scene, and while it bombed, it had shown that Billy's passion for music — yes, Billy does enjoy what he does whether you choose to believe that or not — was alive and well.")

Phew! And while most of my e-mail exchanges were equally, uh, zesty, I did find out that most (rational) Pumpkins fans — when pressured — would admit that Zeitgeist isn't that great. In fact, the phrase I kept hearing over and over was something along the lines of, "It's better than Machina but not as good as Adore."

And to me, that was hilarious. Because almost 10 years after its release, Pumpkins fans have finally come around to Adore, a somber, beautiful, experimental and accomplished album that everybody hated. Reaction was so bad that Corgan famously went on "The Howard Stern Show" and said he was "disappointed" by his fans, and declared, "Rock is dead" — then followed that up by doing an interview with Rolling Stone's David Fricke, in which Corgan compared Adore to Lou Reed's ambitious 1973 clusterf--- Berlin and summed up his feelings about Smashing Pumpkins fans thusly:

"There's definitely the moment where you go, 'What happened?' You have this feeling of desertion: Maybe they don't love you anymore."

Of course, it probably didn't help matters any that Corgan supported the album with videos featuring him looking like a goofy Nosferatu and rocking a rather inexplicable cowboy hat, but the fact remained that pretty much no one gave Adore a chance. Until the Pumpkins were dead and buried, that is — and the fans realized it's pretty great.

Not only that, but a lot of SP fans I recently spoke with now see Adore as possibly the most important record the Smashing Pumpkins ever made: a stylistic departure that's colored everything Corgan has done since, and without a doubt the line of demarcation between "classic" Smashing Pumpkins and whatever the hell has been going on since. No one may have gotten it at the time, but now, with nearly 10 years' worth of hindsight, people understand Adore, appreciate it as both a historical document and a slightly misguided-yet-ultimately-rewarding goth-tronica album.

It's something that we're calling the Pinkerton Effect, after Weezer's 1996 effort, which was initially maligned but in recent years has come to be recognized as both the band's finest hour and a touchstone of emo's second wave. It applies to any album that flies over pretty much everyone's head when it's first released, yet only grows in import and stature given time. A Pinkerton Effect album usually follows the "breakthrough" album in most bands' catalogs, oftentimes killing (or seriously wounding) said band's career and leading to the departure of "original members." It is a record for which you could say, "After [insert title here], nothing was ever the same." (By that school of thought, you could also call this the Paul's Boutique Effect.)

And all that got me thinking: If Adore has finally been rewarded with Pinkerton status, then why shouldn't other equally deserving albums receive the treatment? So, off the top of my head, here are a couple of efforts that I feel are due a little love.

Pavement's Wowee Zowee (1995, Matador)
Following on the heels of 1994's (snicker) breakthrough Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Zowee was Pavement at their most stony, most boozy and, well, most annoying ("Half a Canyon"). Yet it also showcased frontman Stephen Malkmus' growing obsession with twee folk, English pop and goofy prog — three things he's still exploring today on his solo albums. Initially seen as a huge misstep by most of the band's fans — and, ahem, most of the band — it has, over time, become a favorite of both, and just last year, Matador reissued the album as a deluxe two-disc edition.

The Amps' Pacer (1995, 4AD/Elektra)
Kim Deal originally intended the Amps to be nothing more than a side project, but when it became apparent that her sister's struggles with heroin meant that there weren't going to be any Breeders albums coming anytime soon, the band — which included Breeders drummer Jim MacPherson and two members of Dayton, Ohio's the Tasties — became the Kim Deal project. The resulting album, Pacer, was recorded over one long summer, and the resulting songs are delightfully raw, slightly off-kilter and incredibly immediate. And when Deal eventually reconvened the Breeders for 2002's Title TK, the result sounded a whole lot like the Amps. Perhaps expecting a repeat of Deal's success with the Breeders' Last Splash album, Elektra shipped a huge first pressing of Pacer, which led to its availability in discount bins for years. And that makes the fact that very few people have discovered it all the more puzzling, because at its best, Pacer sounds like Guided by Voices covering the Pixies, Belly and the Breeders — and if you're saying that, then there's really no "at worst."

Beck's Midnite Vultures (1999, DGC)
The first album on which Beck assumed the lion's share of the production duties was also the first in his career to be considered a "misstep," which for a guy who spent the first half of the '90s recording leaf-blower solos, is saying something. Midnite Vultures is all sexed-up falsettos, horny robots and piss-take R&B jamz, so it's not difficult to see why so many critics and fans were left scratching their heads. Reportedly, Beck was deeply hurt by the reaction to Vultures' jokiness and has spent most of the time since its release trying to downplay the inherent humor in his music. And that's a shame, because listening to Vultures now, it's hard not to be struck by just how ahead of the game it seems — both lyrically (ahem, Har Mar Superstar, Annie) and sonically. Because for all the horny hullabaloo surrounding it, Midnite Vultures is, at its very core, a very forward-thinking electronic pop album, one that feels futuristic even today (though maybe that's because of all the robo-humping).

Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica (2000, Epic)
The Mouse made the leap to the majors with Moon, an album that saw them reining in their shambling, 10-minute guitar excursions and focusing on (relatively) tight, ruminations on topics both personal and universal. The album title serves as a metaphor for the isolation and depression frontman Isaac Brock felt living in Seattle and Gainesville, Florida, and those twin themes manifest themselves on nearly every song on the record. Opening with the tinny guitars of "3rd Planet," weighing down in the middle thanks to "The Cold Part," "Alone Down There" and "The Stars Are Projectors" (a near-17-minute exercise in bottom-scraping) and ending with the breakneck "What People Are Made Of," Moon is far from easy listening. But those who made it all the way through were rewarded with the most fully realized MM album to date, a theme-driven exercise that Brock has been attempting to duplicate (with decidedly greater commercial results) ever since.

1515's Take: Some Of Our Greatest Minds Weigh In With Their Pinkerton Effect Picks

Faith No More's Angel Dust (1992, Slash)
Robert Mancini, MTV News editorial director: So Faith No More break through big time with the bombastic bounce of "Epic," delivering rap-rock to an eager world and seemingly introducing themselves to the masses as a bunch of righteous dudes always up for a good time (sure, the whole goldfish thing was weird, but the song was pure pop gold). And how did they choose to build on that mainstream success? With songs like "Crack Hitler," "Jizzlobber" and "Be Aggressive" (an ode to gay oral sex). Frontman Mike Patton found lyrical inspiration in fortune cookies, Scientology and sleep-deprivation experiments, all of which are fairly apparent when you dig into Angel Dust (perhaps the most appropriately named album of all time). Patton wasn't exactly engaging while touring behind Angel Dust either, almost daring audiences to hang in there as he sat at the front of the stage eating cigarettes (seriously... they made opening act Helmet look like Mouseketeers). Critics applauded the album, but fans (at least those lured i

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New Releases: Jim Jones, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Gnarls, OK Go & More

07 Nov 2006 06:02:00 EST

Also due Tuesday: Now 23, James Blunt, Dave Matthews Band, Josef K, PJ Harvey, Pavement.
By Kurt Orzeck

Fightin' New Releases: After casting their ballot in the midterm elections on Tuesday (November 7), music lovers will head to a second voting booth: the record store. It's there that they'll show support for either the incumbent candidates or challenging hopefuls. Will it be four more weeks for Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere or OK Go's Oh No? Will Jim Jones and the Foo Fighters throw the bums out? Expect results Wednesday — of next week.

The Challengers:

Jim Jones' Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment):
· Synopsis: The junior rapper from New York is hoping that support from high-profile campaign contributors like Lil Wayne, Cam'ron and Juelz Santana leads to strong voter turnout. With hometown shout-outs on "So Harlem" and elsewhere, he would even have Hillary Clinton up against the wall in the Big Apple.

Various artists' Now That's What I Call Music! 23:
· Synopsis: This series has served almost as many terms as now-departed Senator Strom Thurmond did, but with help from Justin, Beyoncé and Christina, it still has youth on its side. Jessica and Nick are reunited once again here as well — with "A Public Affair" and "I Can't Hate You Anymore," respectively — which should get this candidate even more headlines.

Foo Fighters' Skin and Bones:
· Synopsis: Fans have been urging the Foos for years to run with a live album, and now they're finally entering the race with this tour companion set. Bonus iTunes contributions including a "Skin and Bones" video and "Ain't It the Life" tune fill the band's coffers, but the fact that the accompanying DVD isn't coming for three more weeks could hurt this contender in a dead heat.

PJ Harvey's The Peel Sessions 1991-2004:
· Synopsis: Sure, this CD is no spring chicken — the material is culled from more than a decade's worth of appearances on the late British DJ's radio show — but now these recordings are finally up for a vote. Twelve tracks — including a cover of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle" from 1993 and an even rarer performance of "That Was My Veil" from '96 — will pique fans' interest, but candidate Harvey might not see a big turnout until she puts out her in-the-works studio album.

Isobel Campbell's Milk White Sheets:
· Synopsis: Her recent Ballad of the Broken Seas collaboration with Mark Lanegan won over a new voting bloc, but Campbell has an even more prominent supporter on her side in ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha, who lends a few licks to this LP. The Belle and Sebastian singer also has endorsements from Vaselines' Eugene Kelly and Soup Dragons' Jim McCulloch, who add extra life to the sparsely arranged songs.

Blowoff's Blowoff:
· Synopsis: Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) and Richard Morel (producer of Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous") got their campaign off to a late start, as they bumped this release a few times. But they're running on a split ticket — both musicians share equal responsibilities in writing and performing — and are appealing to voters ranging from rock hounds to electronic-music lovers. Don't write this race off yet.

The Incumbents:

Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere - Deluxe Edition:
· Synopsis: Statesmen Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse scored a Barack Obama-like triumph across a wide-ranging demographic with their debut album when they ran in early May. Now they're up for re-election with a limited-edition version, which has a bonus DVD, 3-D album art and a 92-page booklet. With the elderly constituency finally getting the message — "Crazy" is finally making it to adult-contemporary radio — expect some Gnarl-y gains.

James Blunt's Back to Bedlam:
· Synopsis: Despite being well-loved by a wide range of the population, Blunt's positive campaign could be wearing thin. There's been a negative-publicity backlash building against "You're Beautiful" — "to call it 'overplayed' would be like saying Washington is 'influenced by special interests,' " goes the slogan — but a bonus disc encompassing a full gig in Ireland from last year could win over his voter base.

OK Go' Oh No:
· Synopsis: The pop-rockers pulled off an underdog victory of immense proportions by winning over the blogosphere with their viral videos, and now they're hoping for another jolt of approval with their re-election bid. Core supporters will be pleased with a number of new proposals on the bonus DVD, including a performance of "C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips" from public-access TV, 180 fan re-creations of the unforgettable "A Million Ways" clip, public-service announcements and a video game.

Nirvana's "Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!" DVD:
· Synopsis: The band ran with this ticket more than a decade ago — in 1994, when the Republicans retook Congress, actually — but history has treated the candidate well, and it's likely Nirvana will return to office. They don't really have a new message, per se — just five extra performances from an Amsterdam gig — but these days, Nirvana almost always sit well with the voters.

Dave Matthews Band's The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1:
· Synopsis: Will DMB's positive campaign — telling voters to "Hunger for the Great Light" and promoting the "American Baby" — play well with voters? Early poll data indicates yes, and a bonus disc with eight concert cuts should mean that the band will surge down the homestretch.

Pavement's Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition:
· Synopsis: More or less destined to win the indie-rock vote is this pivotal album from 1995, the band's most scattered but one many aficionados consider their most beloved candidate. A staggering 21 bonus tracks on a second disc — including 18 unreleased outtakes, BBC studio session and concert recordings — could even win over some red-state voters outside its home state of California.

Song Title of the Week:

"Thumbs Down Lampit" from Microwaves' Contagion Heuristic

Other Notables:

Josef K's Entomology: This band suffered a similar fate as experienced by Josef K himself, one of author Franz Kafka's doomed characters. Formed in Scotland in the late '70s, the band recorded three studio albums, only one of which ever saw release. But while K (previously named TV Art) didn't last long, their succulent, infectious pop has, meriting another look back at their oeuvre. This 22-track overview culls 7-inch tracks, "Fun 'N' Frenzy" and more.

Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum's Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum: You might know Brodsky best as the frontman of post-rock princes Cave In, but he's been sneaking out solo LPs for a while now, starting with 1999's Expose Your Overdubs. His third endeavor finds him boosted by Scissorfight drummer Kevin J. Strongbow and Thee Electric Bastards bassist Johnny Northrup, but the results aren't nearly as deafening as what those bands have put out. Expect lo-fi pop and much to be heartbroken about on "Red Headed Butterflies," "Spirals in Her Eyes" and other tracks of purple prose.

Holy Smokes' Holy Smokes Talk to Your Kids About Gangs: Consisting of seven musicians from various corners of the Earth — the Ladies' Zach Hill and Rob Crow, the Advantage's Carson McWhirter and others — the end product is what you might expect: a cacophony of chaotic noise-rock and free jazz. Listen for trumpets, toys and gadgets on "Don't Squab on God's Tracks," "If You Pull It Out, You Better Use It" and "Too Many Wives (All You Need Is Blood)."

New Releases:

· 31Knots - Polemics EP (Polyvinyl) · 36 Crazyfists - Rest Inside the Flames (DRT) · Acute - Selections (EP; Help) · Arsis - United in Regret (Willowtip) · Mickey Avalon - Mickey Avalon (MySpace/Universal) · Black Elk - Black Elk (Crucial Blast) · Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols (Locomotive) · Blowoff - Blowoff (Full Frequency) · Bon Savants - Post-Rock Defends the Nation (E to the I Pi Music) · Bowling for Soup - The Great Burrito Extortion Case (Jive);
Read: "Bowling For Soup's Latest Muse? A Mouse In A Burrito" · Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum - Stephen Brodsky's Octave Museum (Hydra Head) · J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton - The Road to Escondido (Reprise) · Isobel Campbell - Milk White Sheets (V2) · The Chelsea Smiles - Thirty Six Hours Later (Acetate) · Danava - Danava (digipak; Kemado) · Linda Draper - Traces Of (EP; Planting Seeds) · Dredg - Live at the Fillmore (Interscope) · El Goodo - El Goodo (Empyrean) · El Perro del Mar - El Perro del Mar (The Control Group) · Europe - Secret Society (Sanctuary) · The Evens - Get Evens (Dischord) · Benjy Ferree - Leaving the Nest (Domino) · Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (RCA)

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For The Record: Quick News On Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, Cam'ron, Brandy, QOTSA, Ludacris, Bjork, Pavement & More

01 Aug 2002 16:12:00 EDT

By MTV News staff report

New songs from Jay-Z, Nelly, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Cash Money, Juvenile, Rah Digga, Cam'ron and others will be featured on DJ Envy Blok Party Vol. 1: The Desert Storm Mixtape, due in October. Envy's cohorts in the Desert Storm collective, including DJ Clue, provide production work on the album. ... Ja Rule, Irv Gotti, Brandy, Janet Jackson, Sunshine Anderson, J-Swift and Jazze Pha are slated to attend BMI's Urban Awards 2002 at Club Tropigala in Miami Beach on August 6 at 7 p.m. They join a previously announced guest list that includes N.O.R.E., Big Tymers, Lil' Wayne, Juvenile, the Neptunes, Rockwilder and Mario Winans. ...

The first 200,000 people to buy the explicit version of Queens of the Stone Age's new record, Songs for the Deaf, will get a free DVD featuring studio footage of the band as they worked on the album, three songs from their March show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, two songs from a 2000 Ozzfest performance in St. Louis and an interview from the Secret Tour. The album hits stores August 27. ... To compliment the October 8 release (pushed back from September 3) of her Greatest Hits, Björk will release Family Tree, a box set that chronicles her entire career — including a song she wrote on the flute when she was 15 — on five 3-inch CDs and one 5-inch CD. The collection will feature Sugarcubes tracks, previously unreleased Björk material and classical arrangements of some of her songs by the Brodsky Quartet. ... 3 Doors Down's second album, Away From the Sun, is scheduled to arrive on November 12. The follow-up to their 2000 debut was produced by Rick Parashar (Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Default). ...

Sense Field, Gameface, K-Luna and Crashcart performed at a benefit concert Tuesday that raised $4,800 for Sense Field guitarist Rodney Sellar's 4-year-old daughter, Leilani, who was left paralyzed from the neck down after an automobile accident on May 12. "Right Here Now: A Benefit for Leilani" was held at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, and will help pay for the child's growing medical expenses. ... Nonpoint will release a DVD titled "Accompaniment" on September 10 that will feature all of their videos as well as backstage footage. The project will also document their U.K. tour and other past touring experiences. ...

Primal Scream are previewing "Some Velvet Morning," their cover of the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood song featuring supermodel Kate Moss on vocals, on their Web site, www.primalscream.net. The cover is included on the band's Evil Heat, due in the U.K. on Monday, which also features Robert Plant and My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. ... Former Smiths frontman Morrissey had to reschedule his first week of U.S. tour dates after he had trouble getting his immigration clearance in time to start rehearsals. The tour, which had originally been slated to start Thursday (August 1) in Salt Lake City, will now begin on August 9 at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix. ...

An expanded reissue of Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted will be released on October 22. It will be mixed from original master tapes and include a sizeable portion of extra tracks from the period the LP was recorded as well as previously released B-sides and rare compilation appearances, the band's publicist said. ... On the same date, Pavement will also release a DVD titled "Slow Century." The disc will feature two concerts (one with multiple vantage points), all of the group's videos (with band and director commentary) and a documentary by Lance Bangs that provides an overview of the band's history. ...

07.31.02

Apparently it is really "Murda 4 Life," as Ja Rule has dispelled rumors that Vita left his musical family. "She's a part of Murder Inc., and her album will be out real soon on Murder Inc. Records," Ja said backstage at Jamaica's Reggae Sumfest on Saturday. ... U2 will release their second greatest-hits compilation, U2 - The Best of 1990-2000, on November 12. The first single, "Electric Storm," will be released in October and is one of two new songs on the 17-track album. ... Static X's Tripp Eisen will not be joining his other band, the Murderdolls, on their inaugural U.S. tour, which kicks off July 30 at the Epicentre in San Diego. Acey Slade of Dope will stand in for the guitarist for the duration of the tour. ...

Tuesday night at S.O.B.'s in downtown Manhattan, Arista Records hosted the New York stop on the Grindin' Tour, which features the label's new hip-hop acts. Arista's CEO L.A. Reid and Beat Club member Ms. Jade were among those on hand to watch Lady May, Midwikid, Rob Jackson and the headlining Clipse rap songs from their upcoming albums. ... A couple of miles uptown at B.B. King's in Times Square, singer DJ Rogers Jr. performed a showcase in front of the likes of "Yo! MTV Raps" co-host-turned-NYC radio personality Ed Lover and Motown labelmate India.Arie. Rogers, who has written songs for Faith Evans, 112 and Carl Thomas, drops his debut, Emosoul, on September 17, and it features Arie and Thomas as well as Angie Stone and Heavy D. ...

Run-D.M.C.'s Jam Master Jay will host the U.S. finals of the 17th annual DMC American Battleground turntable competition on August 23 at the Roxy in New York City. DJ Premier will be inducted into the DMC Hall of Fame at the competition, which has featured winning DJs like the X-ecutioners, Mix Master Mike and DJ Swamp in the past. ... Bay Area goth-punks AFI will enter a Los Angeles studio next month to begin recording their DreamWorks debut with producers Jerry Finn (Blink-182) and Garbage-man Butch Vig (Nirvana) behind the boards. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what they'll have to add to what we already have created on our own," vocalist Davey Havok said. ...

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, who are currently recording their second album, will curate next year's East Coast edition of All Tomorrow's Parties, which will take place September 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, at the Convention Center and Paramount Theatre. Malkmus plans to take a break from recording to select the lineup for the event, according to his publicist. ... The original members of the Joe Jackson Band are reuniting for the first time in 22 years to record a new album, and they'll embark on a 25th anniversary tour in 2003. The group will be playing warmup gigs in the U.K. in September, and the band's namesake has already written 12 songs for the new album, which is slated for release in March or April.

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Early Nirvana, Other Indie Music Still Thrives On Napster

19 Apr 2001 12:08:00 EDT

With labels shouldering the burden of naming songs to be removed from Napster, many indies choose to skip the process entirely.
By Brian Hiatt

Imagine a ruthlessly efficient army of robots running wild through the nation's record stores, removing every bit of major label product from the shelves, from Britney to Bob Dylan — but leaving behind CDs from independent labels.

Since March, that unlikely scenario has taken place, more or less, on the free but legally precarious online music bazaar that is Napster.

A court injunction stemming from the major labels' copyright infringement suit against Napster has forced it to block access to copyrighted songs — but labels have the burden of naming the songs in question.

And many small and mid-size indie labels have so far chosen not to shoulder that particular burden, leaving Napster chock-full of their music. Want the entire catalogs of Pavement and Sleater-Kinney, or early work by Nirvana or Guided by Voices? It's all still available, even as the oeuvres of Christina Aguilera, Eminem and Metallica get harder and harder to find.

Some indie label executives say that even if they wanted to, a lack of money and manpower would prevent them from submitting lists of their copyrights to Napster. The court injunction requires labels not only to submit artist names and song titles, but also to list the specific file names used for those songs on Napster — a time-consuming and expensive process, the major labels claim.

The majors have paid a consulting firm "tens of thousands" of dollars to find such file names, and have spent at least 2,000 hours of their employees' time compiling song lists, according to court documents.

"We have a two-person team — me as the new media director and then the webmaster," said Josh Ayala of Seattle's Sub Pop Records, whose 500-album catalog includes classics by Soundgarden and Nirvana. "For us to go and compile the song list [is too difficult] — our energies are better spent elsewhere. Especially since [Napster] might increase our exposure." Many labels share the hope that their music's availability on Napster might put money in the pockets of artists by encouraging users to go out and buy what they hear. Only the most popular indie artists — those who already have a significant fanbase — stand to lose sales because of Napster, some executives argued.

"For most indie labels, giving people a chance to hear the music at all is one of the biggest challenges," said Molly Newman, general manager of Lookout! Records (as well as the drummer in riot grrrl pioneers Bratmobile). "The idea that people are sort of helping us with that [on Napster] is interesting." But the Lookout! Records catalog, which includes albums by Green Day, the Donnas and Operation Ivy, is not available on Napster, due to the label's deal with the paid download site EMusic. Because Napster is a direct threat to the site's business of selling MP3s, EMusic submitted its own screening lists, which include music from the numerous indies with whom it has deals.

Some larger indies, which tend to function much like mini majors, shooting for mass audiences rather than the smaller niches of other indies, have also chosen to submit screening lists of their own.

Bob Frank, president of Koch Entertainment, said that his company bypassed any manpower issues by focusing on their top titles, which include CDs from Stabbing Westward, KRS-One and the Kinks. "It was very easy — I just had one person go through one hundred of our biggest titles — they were all there," he said.

Even some medium-sized, high-cool-quotient labels haven't ruled out joining the screening game.

"We have not, in fact, given Napster a list of songs to block — but that doesn't mean that we won't do so at some point in the future," Matador Records general manager Patrick Amory said in an email interview. "The reason is that we haven't determined the extent to which Napster helps or hurts CD sales. Right now, it's clearly a toss-up." Both the Recording Industry Association of America — which represents the major labels — and Napster declined to comment for this story.

For complete digital music coverage, check out the Digital Music Reports.

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Former Pavement Guitarist Forms Preston School Of Industry

16 Apr 2001 08:27:00 EDT

Scott Kannberg's new trio will release its first album, All This Sounds Gas, this summer.
By Rob Kemp

The post-Pavement landscape does not belong just to former frontman Stephen Malkmus anymore. Scott Kannberg, the Pavement guitarist once identified on album sleeves as "Spiral Stairs," has a new Bay Area band called the Preston School of Industry. According to a Matador Records spokesperson, All This Sounds Gas, the trio's first album, will likely be released August 28.

Kannberg is joined in PSOI by bassist Jon Erickson (Kinetics, Moore Brothers) and drummer Andrew Borger (Tom Waits, Moore Brothers). The band's moniker comes from a reform school near Oakland, California.

The band has toured with Scottish post-rockers Mogwai and Detroit garage-rock duo the White Stripes. A still-untitled EP (and 10-inch vinyl record) will be released next month on Amazing Grease, Kannberg's label.

The Matador spokesperson reckoned PSOI do not sound as much like Pavement as Malkmus and his band Jicks do, and added that Kannberg's group is influenced by such '80s indie-pop combos as the Go-Betweens, the Chills and Echo & the Bunnymen. PSOI are planning shows in Chicago and California next month.

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Pavement

Malkmus Embraces Pavement Past For Solo Debut

28 Feb 2001 07:55:00 EST

Singer retains penchant for brainy lyrics and fragile, ambling rock songs on self-titled album.
By Brian Hiatt

NEW YORK — Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus loves John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, the 1970 solo debut that found Lennon singing, "I don't believe in Beatles." But when Malkmus' band "fizzled out" in 1999 and it came time to record his own solo debut, he wasn't interested in making a flamboyant break from his past as the leader of one of the most influential bands of the '90s.

"I don't believe in indie," he sang softly, trying out the line as he waited on a breakfast order at a Soho diner. "It's not like anyone would care, anyway." Instead, Stephen Malkmus, released February 13, is damn near a Pavement album: a collection of fragile, ambling rock songs with Malkmus speak-singing brainy lyrics that double as wise-ass poetry.

"I embraced my past. ... I was all for at least making one record that was, like, a pretty straight Pavement play," Malkmus said. "I wasn't particularly self-conscious while I was doing it, so I wasn't really worried if it was too much this or that." Pavement's quiet end was originally deemed a hiatus when the band announced it in November 1999, but the band's split turned out to be permanent, in part because the musicians tired of "the effort it took to get five people to agree." "'Fizzled out' is a good term — it's over," he said, adding that he wouldn't rule out a reunion in five or 10 years.

Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 and became central to the indie-rock boom of the early '90s. The band's breakthrough second album, 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, featured the single "Cut Your Hair," which became omnipresent at college and alternative radio.

With his former bandmates gone, Malkmus ended up recording his new album with drummer John Moen and bassist Joanna Bolme, musicians from his current hometown of Portland, Oregon. He dubbed them the Jicks and claims to have originally intended to release the album under that name, until his record company insisted otherwise.

Ultimately, for all the new album's similarity to the Pavement catalog, some differences did emerge.

Malkmus found himself playing emotive, straightforward guitar solos on the delicate elegy "Church on White" and other tracks. He didn't feel the need, he said, to diffuse the impact of his playing with atonal squawks or deliberate clumsiness — a frequent tactic of his Pavement past.

While maintaining his famous penchant for non sequiturs — most notably on "Jo Jo's Jacket," on which he sings about late actor Yul Brynner and house music — Malkmus also wrote several more-or-less straightforward story songs.

Over a "Honky Tonk Women" groove, "The Hook" tells the tale of a young pirate's rise through the ranks of his profession: "At age 19 I was kidnapped by Turkish pirates. ... By 25 I was respected as an equal/ My art was the knife. ... By 31 I was the captain of the galleon/ I was Poseidon's new son." The song could pass for a metaphorical run-through of Malkmus' own career, but that's not intentional, he claims. "It was this really standard riff I'd had, so it had to have funny lyrics. ... It could've been about a young dentist." Another narrative track, "Jennifer and the Ess-Dog," somehow ekes genuine pathos from the tale of 18-year-old Jennifer, who dates Ess-Dog, a 31-year-old man who plays in a '60s cover band.

The couple bonds over the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms and a bandanna-wearing dog named Trey, and all seems well. But the relationship falls apart: "Jennifer left for school up in Boulder/ And ... Ess-Dog came to visit when he could/ But the strain was too much/ They could not make up the distance/ And the distance between their years." The track, which Malkmus noted as a favorite, is slated to be the album's second single, following the rocker "Discretion Grove." Malkmus is scheduled to play the new songs on a tour with the Jicks, starting March 8 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the meantime, he hopes to get in some practice time.

"It's hard to rock out efficiently," he said.

North American tour dates, as provided by a Matador Records:

3/8 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards
3/9 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland
3/10 - Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
3/12 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore
3/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
3/14 - San Diego, CA @ 'Canes Bar & Grill
3/15 - Tempe, AZ @ Nita's Hideaway
3/17 - Austin, TX @ Music Hall (South by Southwest)
3/21 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
3/22 - Austin, TX @ Mercury
3/24 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
3/26 - Atlanta, GA @ Echo Lounge
3/27 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle
3/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
3/30 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
3/31 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
4/5 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andy's
4/6 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/7 - Minneapolis, MN @ 1st Ave

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'Schoolhouse Rock' Creator Dies

28 Dec 2000 12:21:00 EST

Thomas G. Yohe, 63, came up with idea for animated series that blended educational messages with pop.
By Corey Moss

"Schoolhouse Rock" creator Thomas G. Yohe died of cancer on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. He was 63.

Yohe, the creative director of the ABC animated series during its 1973–85 run, came up with the idea for a cartoon that blended educational messages with ear-candy pop music while working at an advertising firm in 1971.

" 'Schoolhouse Rock' gave him the most pride in the world," Yohe's wife, Diane Sanden Seely, told AP. Michael Eisner, former head of ABC's children's programming and now chairman of Walt Disney Co., championed the show, which went on to win four Emmy Awards and spawn such classic tunes as "Conjunction Junction," "I'm Just a Bill" and "Interplanet Janet." Those songs and several others were remade for a 1996 tribute album that featured the Lemonheads, Ween, Moby, Buffalo Tom, Biz Markie, Better Than Ezra, Pavement and Blind Melon, who scored a minor hit with their rendition of "Three Is a Magic Number," featuring Shannon Hoon softly crooning the words originally written and sung by jazz legend Bob Dorough.

In 1998, the Roots and John Popper joined an array of artists on Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote, a benefit album for Rock the Vote that featured "Schoolhouse" covers such as Joan Osborne and Isaac Hayes' "I'm Just a Bill." Yohe graduated from Syracuse University and began his career in advertising in 1961. His survivors include Seely, two sons, two daughters, two stepsons, a brother and four grandchildren.

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