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Archive for July, 2009

Fiona Apple & Múm

7th Jul 09 (Tue) 1 comment

Two unrelated music news items worthy of note…

Fiona Apple is back in the studio for the first time in three years.  As SPIN reports, Fiona will contribute two new recordings to The Best Is Yet to Come, a forthcoming compilation honoring Cy Coleman, a composer whose most famous material was performed by Frank Sinatra.  On the collection, Apple performs Coleman’s “Why Try to Change Me Now” and “I Walk a Little Faster,” which was popularized by Tony Bennett.  Patty Griffin, Nikka Costa, Jill Sobule, and Missy Higgins are among the other artists who honor Coleman’s musical legacy on the album.  No release date set, from what I can tell.

Here’s an audio YouTube of Fiona’s “Why Try to Change Me Now”…

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Icelandic band Múm (pronounced “moom”) is releasing another album and is touring the U.S.  I received my ticket to the Portland show (Nov 4th) in the mail today.  I figured it was related to an album, but hadn’t heard that until today (over on the BrooklynVegan blog).  Musically, Múm are akin to Sigur Rós meets Frog Pocket. And for those not in the know about Frog Pocket… well, the prior sentence meant that Múm are like a glitchy-electronic Sigur Rós.

Honestly, I hadn’t looked, but I now find out that Múm’s new album (Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know) is due out in August 2009, but it has already been leaked.  Oh, internets, when you you ever learn that in order for the arts to continue and flourish, you should pay for it!

Anyway, Múm’s 2009 tour dates are as follows:

  • Jul 08 TEATRI DI VITA Bologna #
  • Jul 11 Loop festival afterparty at Digital Brighton #
  • Jul 12 Loop festival Brighton
  • Jul 13 TabarnacleLondon
  • Aug 14 SUMMER SUNDAE festival Leicester
  • Aug 15 Studio 24 Edinburgh
  • Aug 17 National museum of Wales Cardiff, Wales
  • Aug 18 Norwich art center Norwhich
  • Aug 27 Atomic CafeMunich (DE)
  • Aug 28 Beatpol Dresden (DE)
  • Sep 05 Lido Berlin (DE)
  • Sep 06 Knust Hamburg (DE)
  • Sep 07 Gebaeude 9 Cologne (DE)
  • Oct 21 the Somerville Theatre Somerville, Massachusetts
  • Oct 22 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Oct 23 Black Cat Washington DC, Washington DC
  • Oct 24 Le Poisson Rouge NY, New York
  • Oct 26 Le National Montreal, Quebec
  • Oct 27 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, Ontario
  • Oct 28 Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois
  • Oct 29 McGuire Theater Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Nov 01 Marquee Room Calgary, Alberta
  • Nov 02 Richards on Richards Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Nov 03 Showbox at the Market Seattle, Washington
  • Nov 04 Aladdin Theater Portland, Oregon
  • Nov 05 The Independent San Francisco, California
  • Nov 06 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California
  • Nov 07 Yost Theatre Santa Ana, California
    # múm DJ set

~Dan – np: Davka – Davka Live

Categories: Music News, New Sounds Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jónsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps

6th Jul 09 (Mon) 2 comments

Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers have been working on visual art since 2003, and the Riceboys Sleeps is now hitting earbuds around the globe.  Their song “Happiness” was on the Dark Was the Night compilation earlier this year, and their full-length self-titled album comes out on July 21st.  It can now be pre-ordered on Amazon or the deluxe edition from http://www.jonsiandalex.com/.  They’ve been giving away Boy 1904 for new people who sign up for their mailing list.

DOWNLOAD: Riceboy Sleeps – Boy 1904 (MP3)

Track listing:
1. Happiness
2. Atlas Song
3. Indian Summer
4. Stokkseyri
5. Boy 1904
6. All The Big Trees
7. Daníell In The Sea
8. Howl
9. Sleeping Giant

~Dan – np: Miles Davis – Aura

Categories: Music News Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

ha’fway 2009

4th Jul 09 (Sat) 10 comments

Happy 233rd birthday, United States!

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(Sub)consciously prompted by these music blogs, here are my favs of the first half of 2009… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end:

Artist – Album (label)

  1. Dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (Ohlone)
  2. Masada Quintet + Joe Lovano – Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 12 ~ Stolas (Tzadik)
  3. OSI – Blood (Inside Out Records)
  4. Wussy – Wussy (Shake It Records)
  5. Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy – Spirit Moves (Green Leaf Music)
  6. Wynton Marsalis – He and She (EMI / Blue Note)
  7. John Zorn – Alhambra: Love Songs (Tzadik)
  8. Regina Spektor – Far (Sire / Warner)
  9. Isis – Wavering Radiant (Ipecac)
  10. Zu – Carboniferous (Ipecac)
  11. Dream Theater – Black Clouds & Silver Linings, really only the instrumental disc (Roadrunner)
  12. Jamie Saft – Black Shabbis (Tzadik)
  13. Madeleine Peyroux – Bare Bones (Rounder)
  14. Secret Chiefs 3 – Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini (Web of Mimicry)
  15. Ember Swift – Lentic :: 子玉 (Few’ll Ignite Sound)

I didn’t get a few that already came out this year… the new Green Day, U2, Placebo, Eminem, Dave Matthews Band, Fever Ray, Crank 2 soundtrack (by Mike Patton).  I’m waiting for them to be cheaper used, but they may make it to the list at the end of the year.

The 2nd half of 2009 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… John Zorn’s O’o, Medeski Martin & Wood Radiolarians 3, Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane (possibly by November), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), a new Sufjan Stevens (just speculating, since it’s been a while), Ani DiFranco always has something coming out, Jon Madof’s CircuitBreaker debut (maybe) & another Rashanim, The Tango Saloon’s Transylvania (stateside release?), new Tristeza, Over the Rhine Live from Nowhere IV, George Hrab ‘s 6th album Trebuchet, Derek Webb‘s Stockholm Syndrome, SFJazz 2009 with Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano and others, A Perfect Circle internet only single releases (as mentioned back here), and a new Tool record (they’ve worked on it some, but I doubt it’ll hit until 2010)… and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.

~Dan  – np: Cut Chemist – The Audience’s Listening

again… Happy 233rd birthday, United States!


This July 4th, celebrate Sarah Palin resigning as Alaskan governor!

Categories: Lists & Favorites Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,