More news to tack onto the original announcement (go here for that). This is also from Steven Wilson‘s facebook page:
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback regarding my new solo record! Sorry, but “Cut Ribbon” once again failed to make the cut – although the 12 tracks / 84 minutes of music I’ve selected for the main release is quite eclectic, it has in common a pretty organic feel, mostly inspired by the darker end of vintage progressive music and some… movie soundtrack stuff (Morricone especially). The sound palette is made up of things like strings, choir, woodwinds, mellotron, organ, piano, fender rhodes, jazz drums, and warmer guitar tones, so the shiny metal attack of Cut Ribbon just doesn’t fit. But the track is all mixed and finished and sounds good, so I’ll find somewhere to release it. Definitely the album will come out on double vinyl too. Love the new Radiohead album! Here’s another still from the work in progress films Lasse is working on to include on the blu-ray version of the album.
~Dan – np: Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1
It’s weird… the song didn’t even make me think of Tool, but now watching the CGI/Adam Jones-y stop-animation video, the bass line comes through more and the song definitely reminds me of Tool. Hmmm… I’d expect a little more originality from Steven Wilson & Co… well, at least they’re copying a band for which I have a lot of respect.
Steven Wilson‘s 6th and final Cover Versions is finally coming out…
It comes with a special box to house all six discs. The CDs are available via Burning Shed or Headphone Dust. CV5 & CV6 will be out on 7″ vinyl from Tonefloat when they’re ready. For those that don’t know Steven Wilson… he’s the frontman of Porcupine Tree, co-leader of Blackfield and No-Man, and involved in many other side projects like IEM, Bass Communion, and more…
The Maynard James Keenan (Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer) & Eric Glomski documentary about Arizona wines, Blood Into Wine, is hitting limited silver screens in February. A DVD release is scheduled for May 2010. More info over at Blabbermouth.
Radiohead drummer Phil Selway is branching out and going on a solo tour in Italy/Spain/Portugal in March & April 2010. More info over at Paste.
This was my third time seeing dredg, and the second time this year. Their latest record (The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion) is an amazing album… a definite front runner for album of the year for me. It is inspired by Salman Rushdie’s essay “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the Sixth Billionth Citizen.” I gladly made the trek up to Portland, and now that I’d been able to soak in their latest album (it wasn’t out when I saw them in April), I knew much more of the material being played. I was also able to bring my camera… yay!
The first opener As Tall As Lions were really good. The first song, the bassist was acting a bit goofy. I thought it seemed weird, or that he was “overacting.” However, throughout their whole 5-6 song set (35 minutes), he kept it up. Maybe it grew on me, or maybe I changed my mind and felt he really was into it that much (plus he’s got some backing vocal chops). :) Anyway, As Tall As Lions were a 6-piece in this live setting. They’re from New York, and had a good indie rock vibe – nice vocals, nice groove, and good use of horns. The band was way forward on the stage; so my only downside was that I was right next to the drums, which drowned out a lot of their vocals. But, all in all, a very good opener.
The second opener Rx Bandits may as well have been a co-headliner (maybe they were billed as such). It seemed as if tons of the crowd were there to see RxB. They started the set with all four members on drums, which was fun. One of the highlights of their 70 minute set was their lead guitarist and their drummer. Their drummer had a dirty Daniel Johns (of Silverchair) look, and was kicking the crap out of his drumkit. And their lead guitarist didn’t have the most “rock” stage presence, but he seemed like he could fit in a really into a shredder band… he played some really complex underlying scales, all while having a nonchalant look on his face. :) Their vocalist reminded me physically as Brett McKenzie (from Flight of the Conchords). And vocally, he seemed like he could fit in a jamband meets reggae/punk band. Their bassist looked like he also fit in a jamband, and he had a very nice groove and bounced around the stage a lot. It was an odd mix for a group, but it worked. I’ll definitely see them if they swing through Eugene. I took a few pics of RxB, but they didn’t turn out… oh well… next time…
Dredg came on right at 10:50pm and blasted into the trio of songs that kicks off The Pariah, The Parrott, The Delusion. They seemed a little toured out (only compared to the last show in April). They still put on a great show. Gavin (singer/ lap steel), Dino (drums/ keyboard), Drew (bass) and Mark (guitars) were joined by a second guitarist for a few songs (I didn’t catch his name). He played with them on Pariah, Drunk Slide, and Information. Great 85 minute set. Here’s what they played…
Setlist:
Pariah
Drunk Slide
Ireland
Ode to the Sun
Catch without Arms
Same Ol’ Road
Saviour
RUOK?
I Don’t Know
Δ
Bug Eyes
Information
Light Switch
Zebraskin
The Tanbark is Hot Lava
The Canyon Behind Her
Down to the Cellar
Cartoon Showroom
No encore (again), but perhaps that’s their M.O. I’m not putting my usual “a fave of the night” notations by any song, because, quite frankly, it was all amazing. At the end of Down the Cellar, the crew took Dino’s drum kit away one piece at a time at the end, with him ending on piano and no drums around him. That was fun.
The only song I really wish they played but didn’t was “Gathering Pebbles” (from their new one). I could play that song on repeat all day…
As much as I can get across in words, dredg is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. Rarely does an opener hit me, and ever since I saw dredg open for Coheed & Cambria (a few years back), I’ve been an immediate fan. Their latest is their best yet, and their other albums are great as well. I’d recommend picking The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion up on CD, vinyl (from the dredg store), or if you are silly… on mp3 (why go for the lower quality folks?). :)
Music news that I care about seems to be hitting often lately…
Nellie McKay‘s album that was supposed to be out “last fall,” will finally be out “this fall.” No album name, but we at least have a street date – October 13th. There’s not much more content over at the Direct Current Music website; so I hope they are right on this one… .COM, .NET, and .ORG have failed to provide any corroboration. I hope “this fall” doesn’t turn into “next fall“… yet again.
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Porcupine Tree just put their newest one, The Incident (due out 9/15 in the U.S.), up for pre-order. Much like Steven Wilson’s Insurgentes, this one has a deluxe edition that would make the Pope curse. It looks freakin’ gorgeous (and huge)…
On the pre-order page there’s a video of PT frontman Steven Wilson talking about what’s to be included. Oh, it’s a’spensive, but it makes sense if you’ve ever read this “1,000 True Fans” article by Kevin Kelly. Not to say that only the “true fans” will buy it, but, well… anyway, the article is a good read…
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One of my favorite singer-songwriters Peter Mulvey is coming through the PacNW in November. One Portland date that I may try to make, and one Eugene date that I will make. He’s also got a new one coming out (in September on Signature Sounds). It’s called Letters from a Flying Machine…
(click for larger)
Here are his 2009 tourdates (as of now):
Mon 08/10/09 – Saugatuck, MI – Saugatuck Center For The Arts
Wed 09/09/09 – Grand Rapids, MI – Wealthy Street Theatre
Thu 09/10/09 – Kalamazoo, MI – The Strutt
Fri 09/11/09 – Lansing, MI – Creole Gallery
Sat 09/12/09 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
Tue 09/15/09 – Buffalo, NY – 9th Ward
Sun 09/20/09 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
Thu 09/24/09 – Cambridge, MA – Lizard Lounge
Fri 09/25/09 – Cambridge, MA – Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center
Sat 09/26/09 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse Music Hall
Sun 09/27/09 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Hall
Fri 10/09/09 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
Sat 10/10/09 – Evanston, IL – SPACE
Thu 10/22/09 – The Hague, Netherlands – Transvaria
Fri 10/23/09 – Bakkeveen, Netherlands – De Slotplaats
Sat 10/24/09 – Bemmel, Netherlands – Top
Wed 11/04/09 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
Sat 11/07/09 – Portland, OR – Alberta Street Pub
Sun 11/08/09 – Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
Thu 11/12/09 – Felton, CA – Don Quixote’s Int’l Music Hall
Sat 11/14/09 – San Diego, CA – Acoustic Music San Diego
Fri 11/20/09 – Burlington, VT – UVM Recital Hall
Sat 11/21/09 – Framingham, MA – Amazing Things Art Center
Tue 12/01/09 – Fairbanks, AK – College Coffeehouse
Wed 12/02/09 – Fairbanks, AK – College Coffeehouse
Thu 12/03/09 – Tok, AK – Fast Eddy’s
Sat 12/05/09 – Anchorage, AK – Snow Goose Theatre
Sun 12/06/09 – Palmer, AK – Vagabond Blues
Tue 12/08/09 – Kodiak, AK – Golden Anchor
Fri 12/11/09 – Denver, CO – Swallow Hill Music Association
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(photo by Ryan Russell) no, the Office’s Jon Krasinski is not hitting the road with Mr Bazan
And as reported earlier, indie-rocker David Bazan is hitting the road with a band (but not to be mistaken as a “Pedro the Lion reunion”). Announced yesterday on db.com (but unofficially announced at the Eugene house show the other day), he’ll be in Portland in November (the day before Peter Mulvey, actually). Anyway, here are the Bazan band members and tour dates. Eric Elbogen: guitar (Say Hi), Andy Fitts: keyboards + guitar (Aqueduct), Casey Foubert: drums (Richard Swift, Sufjan Stevens), and Blake Wescott: guitar (long-time Bazan collaborator).
10/01 – San Francisco CA – Independent
10/02 – Costa Mesa CA – Detroit Bar
10/03 – San Diego CA – Casbah
10/04 – Los Angeles CA – Troubadour
10/05 – Tucson AZ – Solar Culture
10/07 – Austin TX – Mohawk
10/08 – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
10/09 – Memphis TN – Hi-Tone Café
10/10 – Murray KY – Lovett Auditorium / Murray State
10/11 – Birmingham AL – Bottletree
10/13 – Orlando FL – The Social
10/14 – Atlanta GA – Drunken Unicorn
10/15 – Chapel Hill NC – Cat’s Cradle
10/16 – Washington DC – Black Cat
10/17 – Philadelphia PA – Kung Fu Necktie
10/18 – New York NY – Bowery Ballroom
10/20 – Cambridge MA – TT the Bear’s +
10/21 – Montreal QC – Il Motore
10/22 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace
10/23 – Pontiac MI – Pike Room
10/24 – Chicago IL – TBA
10/25 – Champaign IL – Highdive
10/27 – Madison WI High – Noon Saloon
10/28 – Minneapolis MN – Turf Club
10/29 – Iowa City IA – The Picador
10/30 – Lawrence KS – Jackpot Saloon
10/31 – Omaha NE – Slowdown
11/01 – Denver CO – Hi Dive
11/02 – Salt Lake City UT – Kilby Court
11/05 – Vancouver BC – Media Club
11/06 – Portland OR – Mississippi Studios
11/07 – Seattle WA – Neumos
all dates with Say Hi
+ TW Walsh in Boston
Yep… this is gonna be one packed fall of music for me. Yippie!
UK progrockers Porcupine Tree have a new album coming out in September, and it now has a name: The Incident. It’s out September 21st on Roadrunner Records in the United States. It’ll be a double-album: first CD being the (cough) 55-minute title track. The 2nd CD being an EP-lengthed featuring these four songs: “Flicker,” “Bonnie The Cat,” “Black Dahlia,” and “Remember Me Lover.”
My fandom of Steven Wilson’s songwriting (examples: Stupid Dream & Lightbulb Sun) will probably lead me to gravitate to the 2nd CD, but we shall see. Their counterpart in the prog world, Dream Theater, can’t write their way out of a wet paper bag (when it comes to a “song”)… so at least Steven tends to do that every once in a while…
As previously reported, Porcupine Tree hits the road with King’s X and That1Guy this fall (two favorite artists of mine). I’ll be at the That1Guy-opened show in Portland, OR.
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Larry David is a busy man. As previously reported, the 7th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is underway (and will host all major members of the Seinfeld cast). Larry’s feature movie from writer/director Woody Allen is hitting the streets this June/July. Here’s a trailer for Whatever Works:
~Dan – np: Celldweller – The Last Firstborn Remixes
OSI (OFFICE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE), the project featuring FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos and ex-DREAM THEATER keyboardist Kevin Moore, has spent the past several months working on its third album. According to Moore, “Gavin Harrison (PORCUPINE TREE) is playing drums on this one; he’s nearly done tracking and it sounds great. Along with guitar, Jim is handling bass this time. I still get to sing but may get some help.”
For those not in the know, Kevin Moore‘s Chroma Key is my favorite band ever. This is not hyperbole. Dead Air For Radios is my #1 favorite album ever. O.S.I. is essentially a rockin’ continuation of Chroma Key for me.
(Kevin / CK promo shot)
I’m stoked. I don’t care that it snuck up on me. O.S.I. #2 snuck up on me as well… it makes for a happy present. Now, if I can only convince Kevin to tour Chroma Key or O.S.I.
I suppose watch this blog space for future news… or this one…
Steven Wilson is a musical hero of mine. He’s the guitarist/singer/songwriter for Porcupine Tree, Blackfield (with Aviv Geffen), and No-Man (with Tim Bowness). He’s produced several other artists, most notably Swedish metal band Opeth. He’s got several other solo or collaboration side-projects like Bass Communion, I.E.M., and a song on the debut Office of Strategic Influence record (with another hero of mine — Kevin Moore & Jim Matheos). He’s a veritable berry farm harvest of prolificity… er… um… or something.
Per his web’s splash page, now he’s got a “proper solo album” in the works:
Niiiiice…
While “TBD” at this time, knowing SW’s prior output level, Insurgentes will likely be out by year’s end.
In unrelated news, Ozomatli (SoCal Latino rock/hip-hop outfit) & Chali 2Na (baritone rapper from Jurassic 5) are teaming up for a tour. Chali 2Na and Cut Chemist (also from J5) were the “hip-hop angle” on Ozo’s 1st album (in 1998). Cut is not on this tour (he’s been busy with DJ Shadow). Ozomatli & Chali 2Na will be in Portland (Crystal Ballroom) on Friday, Nov 7th – - and I’m currently scheduled to be up at a client that week… hmmm… here’s the rest of their tour plans (as of now):
10/26: Voodoo Music Experience – New Orleans, LA
10/27: Warehouse/Numbers – Houston, TX
10/29: Stubb’s – Austin, TX
10/30: House of Blues – Dallas, TX
10/31: Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS
11/1-11/2: Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
11/5: Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT
11/6: Big Easy – Boise, ID
11/7: Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR
11/8-/11/9: Showbox - Seattle, WA
11/12: Senator Theatre – Chico, CA
11/13: Crystal Bay Casino – Crystal Bay, NV
I really dig Chali 2Na… he’s my fave rapper from J5 (though Marc7, Akil & Soup are great as well). He’s done a lot of stuff recently with jamband Galactic that’s worth checkin’ out, too.
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