“My Own Colors On My Own Canvas”

It was around this time last year that White Stripes fans the world over were mourning the demise of the beloved dichromatic duo.  Sure we could depend on their always prolific front man-  After all what project did Jack White not have a hand in? The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, Rome, Wanda Jackson and even his own Third Man Records…  The inevitable has finally happened though as Jack White III has announced his debut solo LP. Titled Blunderbuss, it's due out April 24th via Third Man/Columbia/XL.

The album was produced by White and recorded at the Third Man studio in Nashville.  A statement on the Third Man website reads:

“(Blunderbuss is) an album I couldn’t have released until now. I’ve put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas."

The first single is called "Love Interruption" and it's due out on seven-inch vinyl on February 7, backed with the song "Machine Gun Silhouette." The single will go up for sale digitally tonight at midnight EST.
Go here though to  hear it streaming.  A slightly quieter affair, but I like it.

Of course this video has nothing to do with Jack White but I enjoyed this on Portlandia recently.

2012 Year of the Dragon- Correction: 2012 Year of the Horse

Some great music news today as a report of a new album  by Neil Young and Crazy Horse has now been confirmed by Rolling Stone.  According to a fan site report (Thrasher's Wheat) Young shared the news over the weekend at the Slamdance Film Festival (in Park City, Utah) at an event with Jonathan Demme to promote their new movie Journeys.  The news that he was, “working with the Horse again”  was welcome news to their ravenous fanbase.  The full line-up of Crazy Horse hasn't backed Young on an album since Broken Arrow in 1996.

According to the report on Thrasher's Wheat, Young said that he's already recorded one album with Crazy Horse and another is in the works.  Speculation is high that the first recording will surface sometime in the spring although a firm release date has yet to be announced.

Cross your fingers and toes folks.  Perhaps a full tour could be in the offing too.

Belle and Sebastian’s Late Night Tales

The supremely excellent Late Night Tales artist-curated series will release a second compilation by Belle& Sebastian on March 26th. Late NightTales Volume 2. The mix is the follow-up to the Scottish popsters Late Night Tales from 2006. This second ambitious volume will be available digitally and on CD and will feature musical favourites from the band with many drawn from their personal libraries. The compilation features diverse artists like Broadcast, the Pop Group, the Lovin Spoonful, Toro Y Moi, Mulatu Astatke and Pete Shelley. It also includes a Belle & Sebastian cover of the Primitives' 1988 hit single "Crash".

 

Toro Y Moi "Still Sound" {Official Video} from Steven G Daniels on Vimeo.

Tracklisting:

01 Broadcast - Ominous Cloud
02 The Wonder Who? -  Watch the Flowers Grow
03 Joe Pass - A Time for Us
04 Mulatu Astatke - Yekermo Sew
05 Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges  - Tudo Que Você Podia Ser
06 Marie Laforêt - Et Si Je t'aime
07 Bonnie Dobson  - Bird of Space
08 Dorothy Ashby - Soul Vibrations
09 McDonald and Giles  - Tomorrow's People
10 Gold Panda - Quitters Raga
11 Broadcast  - Chord Simple
12 The Pop Group - Savage Sea
13 Stan Tracey Quartet  - Starless and Bible Black
14 The Lovin Spoonful - Darlin Be Home Soon
15 Belle and Sebastian – Crash  (The Primitives )
16 Roland Vincent -  L.S.D. Partie
17 Toro Y Moi -  Still Sound
18 Ce'cile - Rude Boy Thug Life
19 Remember Remember -  Scottish Widows
20 Trees - Streets of Derry
21 Blood, Sweat & Tears  - Spinning Wheel
22 Pete Shelley - Homosapien (Dub)
23 Steve Parks -  Still Thinking of You
24 David Behrman - On the Other Ocean
25 Paul Morley - Lost for Words [Part 3]

Pack the Suncreen, Coachella 2012 Performers Announced

If there is one music festival that never fails to disappoint, the Coachella Music Festival is just that. Every year, music fans the world over flock to the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA for a gathering in the desert quite unlike any other. In most cases a live edition of most Best of Year End list bands coupled with a handful of unbelievable reunion sets, the extended event is a not miss. This year's edition, which runs two consecutive weekends (April 13th-15th, April 20th-22nd) is nothing short of stellar.

Headlining duties for each night will be handled by long-running veteran acts, with the Black Keys on each Friday, Radiohead on the Saturdays, and performances from Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre closing out both Sundays. On top of that, a number of current acts to perform at the California concert event include Bon Iver, M83, Frank Ocean, Girls, Cat Power, Neon Indian, Justice, Florence and the Machine, Beirut, the Shins, Feist, Andrew Bird, St. Vincent, Destroyer, Real Estate, Wild Flag and many more.

In keeping with tradition, the festival will host a number of artists in full reunion mode. (Looks like some of those rumours were true-) Brit-pop stalwarts Pulp, hardcore Swedish punk band Refused, Mike Watt's post-Minuteman spielmeisters fIREHOSE as well as a reunion set from post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor.



Weekend passes have yet to go on sale for this year's Coachella, but you can check out the rest of the line-up on their website. Really though, who was asleep at the switch when they didn’t book the Black Keys, Black Lips, Black Angels and Godspeed You! Black Emperor on the same evening. It only makes sense.

Modeled after major long-running European festivals such as Denmark's Roskilde and England's Glastonbury, Coachella is coming off its second consecutive sellout year, hosting approximately 90 000 people per day. Tickets for the 2011 edition sold out in a record six days.

Pack up the Microbus Chester! We’re headed to California.

Grndrmn 2 RMX CMNG

Late last year Nick Cave announced that his garage-blues project Grinderman, would cease to be.  Fortunately though the raucous outfit will be departing, kicking and screaming with a new twelve track remix album called Grinderman 2 RMX was just announced.  The outstanding collection features new and previously released mixes of cuts and collarborations from the band’s sophomore album by members of the King Crimson (Robert Fripp), Yeah Yeah Yeahs, UNKLE and the National.

The record is set for release on March 13^th via ANTI- Records in both a two record package CD included as well as those much less tangible digital downloads.

The full tracklisting below.
Grinderman,Grinderman 2 RMX

01. Grinderman | “Super Heathen Child” (with Robert Fripp)

02. Grinderman | “Worm Tamer” (A Place to Bury Strangers Remix)
03. Grinderman | “Bellringer Blues” (Nick Zinner Remix)
04. Grinderman | “Hyper Worm Tamer” (UNKLE Remix)
05. Grinderman | “Mickey Bloody Mouse” (Josh Homme Remix)
06. Cat’s Eyes with Luke Tristram | “When My Baby Comes” (Grinderman cover)
07. Grinderman | “Palaces of Montezuma” (Barry Adamson Remix)
08. Grinderman feat. Matt Berninger | “Evil” (Silver Alert Remix)
09. Grinderman | “When My Baby Comes” (SixToes Remix)
10. Grinderman | “Heathen Child” (Andy Weatherall Remix)
11. Grinderman | “Evil” (Factory Floor Remix)
12. Grinderman | “First Evil” (Demo)

Chartsengraffs - 2012 Edition

I love Last.FM - I love the site for a number of reasons. Whether it be the networking with likeminded musical Last.FM friends, poring over playlists and previewing new music. Most of all though, I love the graphing capabilities that are generated by scrobbling my music library.  (Not captured are the late night music listening sessions in the music room, but illuminating nonetheless.)  Overall though, this is pretty accurate and reflects what is playing on my computer as I am drafting reports for work or scribbling emails, blog posts or searching out the next big musical thing.

Apparently I really enjoy the music of The Replacements and Radiohead.

Hmmm… Go figure.