Charlotte (Some Times)

Last year, French actress/chanteuse/rock n’ roll girlfriend #68- Charlotte Gainsbourg released IRM; a stunning record co-written and produced by Beck Hansen. An inspired and fruitful pairing this record remains high atop the list of my most played discs this year. The announcement yesterday that she will be hitting the roads of North America for the first time ever is an exciting one. If you’re lucky enough to see her you’re in for a very special evening.

The outing will include a stop at Coachella, as well as four Canadian dates: Vancouver and Victoria, plus a two-night stand in Montreal. Pretty safe to assume she can expect some reverential treatment for the Quebec gigs.

Tour dates:

4/11 Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
4/12 Victoria, BC - Alix Goolden Hall
4/14 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café
4/15 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
4/17 San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
4/18 Indio, CA - Coachella
4/21 Chicago, IL - Park West
4/23 Montreal, PQ - Olympia
4/24 Montreal, PQ - Olympia
4/25 New York, NY - Webster Hall
7/16 La Rochelle, France - Le Festival Francofolies


Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM from Charlotte Gainsbourg on Vimeo.

All You Need is Evol

Beck To Cover Sonic Youth Album

Inexhaustible musician and Thurston Moore lookalike, Beck is set to cover Sonic Youth's seminal 1986 album EVOL in its entirety for a new box set chronicling the influential New York ensemble.

Due to be released on handy cassette format, Beck's take on EVOL will form part of a new Sonic Youth box set. "They are doing some kind of box where they are getting artists to do photographs and art and pamphlets related to Sonic Youth, and one of the things they were requesting was a cassette."

Sonic Youth have not yet officially confirmed news of the box set.

You may recall that earlier this year the songwriter released his take on the Sonic Youth track "Green Light" for a split seven inch to commemorate Record Store Day. Recently, the singer unveiled his plan to release a series of Velvet Underground covers. Recorded with no rehearsal in just one day, the singer has already posted a ramshackle version of "Sunday Morning" on his official site. More covers are set to follow, with the singer due to release a track bi-weekly for the interim.

In a recent Pitchfork interview, Beck discussed a possible collaboration with French singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. (Charlotte is the daughter of legendary artiste Serge Gainsbourg.) At this time, a release date has not yet been announced.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico 'Waiting for My Man' from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Where It’s At, Eh

Beck Announces North American Tour including Canadian Dates

Did you realize Odelay is twelve years old now? Time
certainly does fly but I think that one has aged particularly well. Heck it still makes me dance recklessly in my office chair. News today that the perpetually youthful and mononym”ed” popster, Beck has announced a slew of additional dates for his North American tour this fall. The funky loser will be spreading the Modern Guilt throughout the continent with two stops In America’s hat, including one in Toronto on October 5th and one in Montreal the following day.

Beck has also announced that his father David Campbell (and Canadian musician extraordinaire) will be joining him onstage at an upcoming Hollywood Bowl show in Los Angeles. This will mark the first time the father-son pair has performed together live.

For those unaware, Beck’s father has a long and storied career in the music business as a composer/arranger. In the senior Campbell’s time, he has racked up credits on more than four hundred recordings and worked on sessions with everyone from Marvin Gaye to Johnny Cash. Campbell will take on the conductor duties for his son and lead the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra String section. (No word if he’ll be pulling out jives or jamboree hand outs.)

Beck’s North American Tour Dates:

9.19 San Diego, CA - Street Scene Festival
9.20 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
9.22 Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
9.23 Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium
9.25 El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
9.27 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
9.28 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
9.29 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
9.30 Minneapolis, MN - Wilkins Auditorium
10.02 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
10.03 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
10.05 Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
10.06 Montreal, QC - St. Denis Theatre
10.09 New York, NY - United Palace Theatre
10.10 New York, NY - United Palace Theatre