Filed under: News of Note | Tags: stars, Lil Wayne, Wilco, Iron & Wine, Grizzly Bear, Weezer, Broken Social Scene, K'naan, Carly Simon, David Boies, Starbucks, Raditude, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, Laurie Anderson, Martha Wainwright, Blue Rodeo, Corb Lund, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Policewoman, Sun Kil Moon, Arthur Russell, Annie, Smalltown Supersound
Carly Simon sues Starbucks
Not only will Canada be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to show off their pristine, snow covered hills and universal healthcare, but they’ll also be throwing some of Canada’s most famous indie acts on stage during the games, reports Stereogum. From February 12-28, expect to see Broken Social Scene, K’Naan, Stars, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, Laurie Anderson, Martha Wainwright, Blue Rodeo, Iron & Wine, Corb Lund, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Policewoman, and Sun Kil Moon featured. Wilco has also been confirmed to play at an Olympic event at Vancouver’s David Lam Park. Apparently, the Olympics will also be taking place at some point between all of the performances.
Carly Simon will be teaming up with high-profile attorney David Boies in a suit that she will be filing against coffee empire Starbucks, reports RS. Simon claims that Starbucks is to blame for the disappointing sales of her new album, This Kind of Love. Sales of the record numbered about 124,000, which Simon claims is due in part to mismanagement and poor promotion of the record on Starbucks’ end. Simon was looking to have this record support an early retirement, but due to the monetary concerns presented by the album’s flop, it seems like retirement may be out of the question at the moment. Looks as though she may have to remain for the time being as a “working girl”.
Fear not, Weezer fans. The long-anticipated release of Weez’s Raditude, which is scheduled for October 27th, is fast approaching. If you can’t wait that long, though, we’ve got good news. The album is now available for preview on iTunes in 30-second clips, which may not seem like much to some. Don’t worry. It gets the job done. RS reminds fans to check out “Can’t Stop Partying”, their collaboration with rap giant Lil Wayne. Weezy and Weezer? Sounds like a match made in promotional heaven.
Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor has been hard at work with his solo project, CANT. Not only did he appear on Monday’s episode of the Tonight Show, but also released his project’s first single, entitled Ghosts. The track is backed up by the unreleased “Come to Life” from minimalist Arthur Russell, as reported by Pitchfork. Check it out here.
Scandinavian pop icon Annie has been met with nothing but trouble regarding the release of her second album, entitled Don’t Stop. After braving a gauntlet of blown release dates and a deluge of leaks of the album, she’ll finally be releasing the album with Smalltown Supersound on November 17, says Pitchfork. Check out her latest single, “I Don’t Like Your Band”.
– John Luposello
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: 7 Worlds Collide, Jeff Tweedy, Johnny Marr, Neil Finn, Radiohead, Wilco
7 Worlds Collide delivers a quality two-disc effort for charity
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD 7 Worlds Collide’s “Too Blue” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 15/20 Watts
When news began trickling out about Neil Finn’s latest iteration of 7 Worlds Collide, fans were excited, to the say the least. Working alongside Finn were some of today’s most prolific names in alternative rock, most notably Radiohead members Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien, almost every member of Wilco and Johnny Marr. It is a supergroup of epic proportions, creating tons of buzz in a year seemingly full of star-studded collaborations.
Amidst all that noise, The Sun Came Out, which will use its proceeds to benefit Oxfam, delivers– mostly. The two-disc collection functions as a cohesive thought unlike most efforts its size. Though constructed by countless artists, it still manages to maintain a central theme, and sound. This can be attributed to Finn playing the role of maestro brilliantly, putting all the pieces together whenever necessary, and giving us a steady stream of consciousness throughout. (more…)
Filed under: News of Note, Uncategorized | Tags: Jay Leno, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lady GaGa, Phil Selway, Pitchfork, Radiohad, Rihanna, Thom Yorke, Vampire Weekend, VMAs, Wilco
Kanye talks to Jay Leno the day after the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards
PREVIEW: Watch Kanye’s interview with Jay Leno and Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye’s performance of “Run This Town.”
After the Kanye West publicity stunt/VMA debacle Sunday night, the rapper sat down with Jay Leno on Monday and publicly apologized, Pitchfork reports. After giving a heartfelt apology, and shedding some tears when Leno asked West what his late mother would have thought of his disrespectful act, he performed “Run This Town” with Jay-Z and Rihanna. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage:20 Watts Reviews Jay-Z's "Run This Town"]
In other Kanye news, SPIN.COM reported that he and Lady Gaga would join forces and hit the road together this winter. The entire tour will comprise of 34 stops and it starts November 11 in Pheonix, AZ and will end on January 24 in Dallas, TX. The nearest Syracuse date is Buffalo, NY on December 20. If you saw Gaga’s VMA performance you know that this will literally be the craziest winter tour. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Lady Gaga's New Music Video/Short Film]
According to Pitchfork, Vampire Weekend has announced details regarding their second full-length album. The album entitled Contra, will be released January 12, 2010 and the tracklist is currently available on the band’s website. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Discovery's The LP]
NME.COM reports that Radiohead drummer Phil Selway will release a solo album. Selway will sing on the album and be joined by Wilco members Glenn Kotche and Pat Sanzone, solo-artist Lisa Germano and bass player Sebastian Steinberg. The albums release date is unknown at this point.
NME.COM also reports that Radiohead’s frontman, Thom Yorke, is set to perform “The Reckoner” after a showing of the new climate change film “The Age of Stupid.” The performance will occur via satellite transmission from a mysterious undisclosed location. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Radiohead Leak Track? "These Are My Twisted Words", Radiohead Wrote A Song That Would Suit A Funeral? No Way!!]
- 20 Watts Staff
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: Black River Killer, Blitzen Trapper, Chuck, Eric Earley, Fleet Foxes, Sub Pop, Wilco
Blitzen Trapper release new album Black River Killer
PREVIEW: Download Blitzen Trapper’s “Silver Moon” MP3
WE GIVE IT: 17/20 Watts
Whether you love them for their music, heard of them because you are addicted to Chuck re-runs, or just stumbled across them opening for Fleet Foxes or Wilco, Blitzen Trapper has a few new songs for you to hum along to. The Oregon-based sextet, after self-releasing albums for years before signing with Sub Pop, is going public with their second collection under the label.
Black River Killer is a seven song EP showcasing work from the band’s entire career. Combining songs, which used to be available only on CD-R, into a solid assembly, Blitzen Trapper produce a mini-album that will be hard to overlook. Ranging from melancholy folk influences to cosmic jailhouse rock, this album has it all. Each song emulates perfection, making it impossible to pick your favorite.
Opening track “Black River Killer” defines the album’s sound. Subtle guitar chords paired with understated, airy synth in the background serve as a perfect accompaniment to singer Eric Earley’s tranquil country vocals. Blitzen Trapper offer a wide selection that displays both songs with commercial appeal as well as examinations of very personal emotions. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: concert photos, Ed Droste, Feist, live music, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
Wilco confirmed their reputation as America's best live band
At what was probably one of the best shows I’ve ever been to, Wilco and Yo La Tengo both tore up Brooklyn’s Keyspan Park throughout a fun and lengthy set that went from 7 p.m to almost 11 p.m. Wilco played 18 songs (19 if you count the crowd’s rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”), then played another eight combined in the first and second encore, for a grand total of 27.
Among the encore guests were Feist, Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste and Yo La Tengo in its entirety. As ridiculous as it may seem, I was actually holding out for a Wilco rendition of “Two Weeks” for a couple minutes, but it never came to be. (more…)
Filed under: Free 4 All, Releases of the Week | Tags: free music, Girl Talk, Neil Young, Peter Buck, Radiohead, Scott McCaughey, The Minus 5, The She Bee Gees, Wilco, Willie Nelson, Young Fresh Fellows
The Minus 5's Killingsworth is pretty miserable -- in a good way.
PREVIEW: Killingsworth on ReverbNation
In an always admirable move, The Minus 5 decided to stream their new album, Killingsworth, on ReverbNation. They join the ranks of Radiohead, Wilco, and Girl Talk.You have to wonder why, though. The Minus 5, a sixteen-year-old act from Seattle, are not trying to make a point, like Radiohead, are not in danger of leaks or record company troubles, like Wilco, and are not putting out already copyrighted material, like Girl Talk. Are The Minus 5 just that cool that they’ll release an album and stream it just for the hell of it? Apparently so.
The brainchild of Scott McCaughey, The Minus 5 have been around in one capacity or another since 1993, fronted by McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. McCaughey has long been known as a close associate of R.E.M.’s, playing second guitar on tour for them and appearing on both live and studio releases. That said, The Minus 5 is very much a McCaughey solo act (plus Buck), with rotating guest musicians from The Decemberists, Wilco, and The Posies. Young Fresh Fellows, the other band he fronts, released their own album on July 7, 2009, the same day as Killingsworth.
The two albums couldn’t be more different, though; I Think This Is a more straightforward pop/rock record, and Killingsworth a folky, alternative country rock effort.
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: album review, alternative country, americana, Feist, Iron Maiden, The Beatles, Weezer, Wilco, wilco self-titled
Wilco (The Album) is good, but more of the same
Preview: Wilco and Feist, “You and I” MP3
Previous Wilco coverage: Wilco Streamed
For a band that’s been around for fifteen years, you have to wonder why Wilco hadn’t yet released a self-titled album. The Beatles did it after just six years, it was Iron Maiden’s first choice, Weezer repeated it three times over. Ideally, a self-titled album explains the overall sound of a band (the reason the White Album is thirty tracks long, and Weezer is color-coded). To that effect, Wilco (The Album)’s eleven tracks succeed admirably.
The overall feel of Wilco on first listen is nothing terribly groundbreaking. It’s what we’ve come to expect: guitar noodling, Jeff Tweedy’s calm, relaxed voice, some slight country influences, and catchy songwriting. Wilco might have cut their most accessible, comprehensive record to date.
Wilco offers a nice selection of tracks that both fit the band’s image and explore its influences. Tracks like “Wilco (The Song),” “I’ll Fight,” and “You and I” hearken back to their alternative country roots. “Deeper Down,” “Bull Black Nova,” and “Country Disappeared” showcase their later experimental work.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: andrew bird, Animal Collective, Bat for Lashes, Beirut, breakfast at sullimay's, Common, Dan Deacon, Dirty Projectors, Eminem, Grizzly Bear, Matt + Kim, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
My grandmother hasn’t acknowledged the existence of an album since Frank Sinatra’s Nice ‘n’ Easy. Thus, the idea of her listening to the latest from Beirut, Common or Yo La Tengo isn’t just comical — it’s downright ridiculous. It’s also the concept behind Breakfast at Sulimay’s, a video blog/online television series that you (and your grandma) are gonna want to check out, if you haven’t already.
From the corner of what appears to be a B-grade suburban diner, three lovable senior citizens don headphones, jam to the latest from the likes of Andrew Bird, Matt & Kim and Bat for Lashes, and deliver their ruling on the tracks.
My grandmother would surely grimace and pronounce that Dan Deacon’s “Snookered” was in headache-inducing poor taste.
Joe, Ann and Bill are totally down, though — they love Dan Deacon! They love Eminem! And of the latest from Grizzly Bear, they say:
“Is this… English?”
Priceless! Youth is wasted on the young.
– Caitlin Dewey
Filed under: Editor Picks, Free 4 All, Releases of the Week | Tags: Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco
Wilco is streaming their new album, self-titled “Wilco,” on their website.
So far I’m pretty happy with the album. I’ve never been a Wilco nut, but I’m beginning to wonder why not? They’ve been around since 1994, and ever since them, I pushed them aside for being a mainstream self-proclaimed “indie-group.” However to my delight, “Wilco” is full of soft upbeat tunes and has some 1960s influences, like the Velvet Underground in the opening track.
My one problem is that their album is super clean, and maybe too clean, kind of like Death Cab for Cutie. It’s probably just me, but I like my indie albums to have a little a little weirdness to them, and some rough-cut songs that include a little amplifier feedback.
Oh, and what’s with Wilco naming their 8th album “Wilco?” Self-titled albums are usually the first albums, obviously. Either they’re just trying to be different, or they were too lazy to think up an obscure word to describe the album.
Lame.
Give it five years, and all bands will be forced to stream their albums live before releasing them. Wilco is just ahead of the curve.
–Jett Wells, Reviews Editor
Filed under: Industry News, Uncategorized | Tags: David Bowie, Dire Straights, Led Zeppelin, Wilco
MTV Music Videos Find a Home
Wait a second…MTV used to play music videos? You mean the same network that has such fine programing as The Hills and Yo Mama? Well according to Rolling Stone’s Rock Daily Blog, the channel that was originally associated with music is putting their video vaults on a new website, cleverly dubbed MTV Music. The website boasts such classics as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and Dire Straights’ “Money For Nothing.”
