Garbage Frontwoman is Back
We all cried a little bit the day that Garbage announce the whole indefinite hiatus thing. Just say it's over. We can take it.
Well, if you like redheads, you'll like this. Shirley Manson has begun work on a solo album. But she's not doing it alone. The stupid girl managed to seduce Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan to join in, and rocker Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs also wanted to get down with Manson's solo debut. To the studio!
The album is due sometime in 2007.
Albert Hammond Jr. Schedules Solo Tour
Upon completing the touring schedule in support of First Impressions of Earth, the Strokes' guitarist is taking his solo side project on the road. Albert Hammond's Yours To Keep is available on October 9th, exclusively in the UK on Rough Trade. Plans for a North American release have not been finalized.
The supporting tour is in the works and currently has the following dates:
Oct 28 - The Saint - Asbury Park, NJ
Oct 30 - T.T. The Bear's Place - Cambridge, MA
Nov 1 - The Khyber - Philadelphia, PA
Nov 3 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
Nov 22 - Academy 2 - Birmingham
Nov 24 - Cockpit - Leeds
Nov 25 - Academy 3 - Manchester
Nov 27 - ABC 2 - Glasgow
Nov 28 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham
Nov 29 - Scala - London
Apparently, the songs on the album aren't up to the Strokes' high standards. Albert, himself, heralds the record as rejects from his associates in the Strokes. Speaking to the NME, Hammond said:
"I did suggest my songs (to the rest of The Strokes) once or twice and I got turned down," he explained. "It wasn't actually Julian (Casablancas) who turned it down, it was the other members who didn't like it."
Not sure why you would tell people that right before the album comes out. You normally want to wait until after everyone's heard it, loves it, and then mention that, in an "I told you so," kinda way.
As mentioned before, the solo work does not foreshadow any split, Albert insists the side project is just that, an aside:
"I don't think I feel trapped in the band but I'm definitely glad I made this record," said Hammond Jr said, "It wasn't, 'I wanna get out', just sometimes after all the press and touring with each other sometimes you want something different."
Albert with backing band, Josh Lattanzi and Matt Romano.
Jason Lytle Goes on Tour with Trusty Rusty
For those of you mourning Grandaddy's death, there is good news. Jason Lytle has decided to leave his Montana porch and play a few ditties for ya.
From the Grandaddy website:
All summer long Jason Lytle of Grandaddy will be playing intimate, acoustic shows from coast to coast. He'll be performing songs from this Spring's sweeping epic finale Just Like the Fambly Cat. Of course, hell also be performing fan faves from Sumday, Sophtware Slump and last summers Diary of Toddzilla EP. Along for the ride will be multi-instrumentalist Rusty Miller of Jackpot as accompaniment.
This is crazy news considering Jason has gone on record attributing a large part of the demise of Grandaddy to his loathing for life on the road. In an interview Jason did with In Music We Trust about a year ago:
One of the big reasons Lytle is thinking of making the next Grandaddy record the last is simple: touring.
"I'm trying to do away with the touring thing altogether. I fucking hate touring," he tells me. "Someone has to be the poster boy for not touring. I want to start a new revolution.
Well the revolution posters come down all summer long. He doesn't wanna be there, but he's got to:
Jul 18 2006 Sonar Baltimore, MD
Jul 19 2006 World Cafe Philadelphia , PA
Jul 22 2006 Joes Pub New York, NY
Jul 24 2006 Joes Pub New York, NY
Jul 25 2006 Paradise Boston, MA
Jul 29 2006 Schubas Chicago, IL
Jul 31 2006 Fine Line Minneapolis, MN
Aug 3 2006 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 7 2006 Harlows Sacramento, CA
Aug 8 2006 Du Nord San Francisco, CA
Aug 9 2006 Du Nord San Francisco, CA
Aug 11 2006 Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, CA
Aug 12 2006 Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, CA
The solo tour is in support of the space-pop finale to Grandaddy's ten year career, "Just Like the Fambly Cat".
What Pretty Kitty
Photo Location
The Lions are Loose!
Fans grieved when Pedro the Lion retired earlier this year. Devotees of the David Bazan and Tim Walsh pairing should take heart to hear that the two are working on individual projects and both have solo work ready for some serious pre-break-up comparisons.
The new EP from Bazan is titled "Fewer Moving Parts" and was released this week on Jade Tree Records.
David speaks about the EP on his website:
The 10-song EP includes two different versions of five new Bazan songs. One version is stripped down acoustic and another version has full-instrumentation. "FEWER MOVING PARTS" is hands-down Bazan's finest work to date.
Here's a tracklisting:
Selling Advertising
How I Remember
Fewer Broken Pieces
Cold Beer and Cigarettes
Backwoods Nation
Selling Advertising (acoustic)
How I Remember (acoustic)
Fewer Broken Pieces (acoustic)
Cold Beer and Cigarettes (acoustic)
Backwoods Nation (acoustic)
Digital Test Driving of the EP is available on his myspace page.
David Bazan LPs are on the horizon for early 2007 release so make your new year's resolution now to get more Bazan in your life.
David hits the road tonight in Chicago:
Thu 06/15 Chicago IL @ Schubas
Fri 06/16 Cleveland OH @ The Grog Shop
Sat 06/17 Toronto ON @ Music Gallery
Sun 06/18 Montreal QC @ Mile End Cultural Center
Mon 06/19 Cambridge MA @ T.T. the Bear's
Tue 06/20 Brooklyn NY @ Southpaw (early show)
Wed 06/21 Hoboken NJ @ Maxwell's (early show)
Thu 06/22 Philadelphia PA @ World Cafe Live
Fri 06/23 Washington DC @ Black Cat Backstage
Sat 06/24 Pittsburgh PA @ Club Cafe Live
Sun 06/25 Newport KY @ Southgate House - Parlor
Wed 07/19 Portland OR @ Doug Fir - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Thu 07/20 Eugene OR @ WOW Hall - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Fri 07/21 Chico CA @ Market Cafe - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Sat 07/22 Modesto CA @ Xclamation Festival w/ Micah P. Hinson
Sun 07/23 Pomona CA @ Glass House - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Mon 07/24 San Diego CA @ The Casbah - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Tue 07/25 Los Angeles CA @ Tangiers - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Thu 07/27 San Francisco CA @ Bottom of the Hill - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Sat 07/29 Seattle WA @ Tractor Tavern - w/ Micah P. Hinson
Tim Walsh is working solo under the moniker The Soft Drugs. This month saw a preview of his new song The Pitch. Other Soft Drugs maybe consumed at Tim's myspace space. The new CD, "In Moderation," is available now.
Tracklist this:
01 The Pitch
02 Defending The Paint
03 Brand New Name
04 Don't Sweat It
05 Broken Truces
In the Northwest? Come out in force for Tim:
Jun 22 2006, Tractor Tavern, Seattle
Jun 23 2006, Doug Fir, Portland, OR
Let's Go! Solo!
It's the summer of solo. First, Thom told Radiohead that he had a little sumptin some on the side, with himself. And now we got Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, and Alan Sparhawk of Low, taking a little break from working in committee.
Today Sub Pop announced Alan's foray into solo work with his upcoming solo guitar album called Solo Guitar. Seeing as how the album title is so confusing, Silber, the label releasing the venture, decided to elaborate:
"The entire album was recorded live using guitar loops & reverb allowing a greater immediacy & improvisation to the guitar work than a more orchestrated approach would allow. Without the constraints of working with any sounds not at the control of his hands or feet, Sparhawk is able to push his guitar to fill the entire audio spectrum. The songs begin with single notes that often build up to be larger than an orchestra playing Ligeti. The disc shows both sides of guitar drone, the aggression of playing a guitar by beating it with a fist & the inherent peacefulness in a heavily reverbed slow crescendo."
Sounds like dance party USA. The record hits stores August, so that's when you should try buying it. Low announced two shows yesterday where they will play 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire in its entirety for All Tomorrows' Parties 2006.
Wednesday 26 July 2006, 7:00 pm & Thursday 27 July 2006, 7:00 pm
KOKO Theater
1a Camden High Street, London NW1
£15
Jeff Tweedy is also up to something. His solo tour of the Northwest in February was filmed. Brendan Canty of Fugazi produced the motion picture and Christopher Green directed it. The result is a DVD as souvenir for all those who went, and a consolation prize for all those who missed it. Though no release date is announced, Nonesuch Records expect it later this year. You might be able to catch Jeff on his own in August:
08-16 Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Museum of Art
08-18 Lyons, CO - Folks Festival