50 Camera Response

Nov. 23, 2005

The Beastie Boys have announced plans to release a concert documentary in spring of 2006, directed by none other than Nathaniel Hornblower (The Beasties’ own M.C.A./Adam Yauch). The majority of the footage was shot on 50 cameras that the Boys handed out to audience members at their October 2004 performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, and that same footage was compiled by THINKFilm to make up the finished product. Now scheduled for wide release in the U.S. next spring, the film will also be screened at several major film fests early in the year; and the Beasties will preceded their film release with a little something this week, namely the release of their 15-track collection of previously released material that they’ve dubbed Solid Gold Hits...

Speaking of hits, that’s exactly what will be showcased at the upcoming 2005 American Music Awards, which will hit TV live on November 22, straight from Los Angeles. Performers at the event will include Gwen Stefani, All-American Rejects, The Rolling Stones, Hilary Duff, Rob Thomas, Sheryl Crow, and Cyndi Lauper with Sarah McLachlan, while among the presenters will be Beach Boy Brian Wilson, the Backstreet Boys (who are attempting a comeback), Shakira, and Dave Navarro, fresh from his “Rock Star INXS” judging gig. The Eurythmics will also appear at the event, performing a new song titled “I’ve Got A Life” which will be included on their new CD, The Eurythmics’ Ultimate Collection...

And if you get enough hits, you might just get your own action figure - at least that’s what happened to the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, KISS, Green Day, and Metallica. Well now, the guys of My Chemical Romance are joining the action figure ranks - SEG Toys is putting out miniature likenesses of all five band members that will be available at Hot Topic stores and Spencer Gifts. Frontman Gerard Way wants to make sure that no one calls them “dolls,” though - “we’re definitely action figures!” he says. The d... er, sorry, action figures... stand around five inches tall and have elbow and knee joints; each band member is sold separately and arrives with appropriately red and black accessories...

OutKast fans are going to have to wait a little longer for the group’s next release, even though it was originally scheduled to hit stores in December - word has it that the next OutKast album, the soundtrack to the accompanying OutKast film Idlewild, is now set to appear during the first quarter of next year. The corresponding film (on HBO Films) is also being affected by the change, as it was expected out during early January, but now has an “unspecified” release date. Set in the 1930s, the film itself has influenced its namesake set of songs according to OutKast, who say that the new tunes are still hip-hop, but with a “ragtime” feel...

MINI BUZZ:
Muse have confirmed that they’ll be releasing a new DVD titled The Absolution Tour that will include footage from their headlining Glastonbury performance as well as tunes from Wembley Arena, London’s Earls Court, and the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles...
Elvis Costello will be promoting his latest musical achievement, a full-length orchestral work entitled Il Sogno, with an orchestral tour in spring 2006 that will combine the new work with a showcase of Costello’s pop classics...
U2 have announced that, after a break for the holidays, they’ll be resuming their world tour in February...
Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith will be hopping on the tour trail together as the year winds to a close, with stops scheduled for Chicago (12/10), Detroit (12/15), Orlando FL (1/5), and Houston TX (1/23)...
Taking Back Sunday are currently recording in Los Angeles with help from producer Eric Valentine...
And Sweden popsters The Sounds are back with an energetically-cool new album called Dying To Say This To You...

New ON CD: Franz Ferdinand elders The Fire Engines drop Codex Teenage Premonition... Bright Eyes drops the limited-release Motion Sickness... Martin Sexton offers up Camp Holiday... The Roots release The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots Volume One and Volume Two... Great Day For Up offers up Flores de Sangre... and The Rembrandts Choice Picks... ON DVD: U2’s Vertigo 2005... Bush’s Zen x Four... Embrace’s A Glorious Day - Live in Leeds... and Roxy Music and T. Rex Live... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Questions, comments, rants, raves about this column or your fave musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com!