Sing A Song of Sixpence

June 21, 2006

Sing a song of Sixpence

Former Sixpence None the Richer singer Leigh Nash is set to release her solo debut CD next month on Nettwerk Records - dubbed Blue on Blue, the album, which will hit stores on August 15, was produced by Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan), who also co-wrote several songs with Nash for the disc;  other songs set for inclusion are “Ocean Size Love,” “My Idea of Heaven,” and “Nervous in the Light.”  This is Nash’s biggest musical project since Sixpence’s demise in 2004;  she also plans to tour North America this fall to further promote her new solo set...
 
Modern rock supergroup Golden Smog - which, at any given time, could consist of any or all of these musicians: Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum), Jody Stephens (Big Star), Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, and Kraig Johnson (The Jayhawks) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) - are planning several live shows in support of their upcoming new album, Another Fine Day, which will be released on the Lost Highway imprint.  The first two shows to surface are a July 23 show in Minneapolis, and a July 26 show in NYC;  more shows are said to be possibly booked in the fall, as well, so keep an eye on the Golden Smog schedule...
 
UK band Doves are already back in the recording studio, where they are beginning work on their fourth studio album, which will be tracked at a farm-based studio in Manchster, England.  The band purchased some vintage recording gear especially for their work on the new disc, and have spent the past couple of weeks setting things up and getting their recording strategies in order.  Fans won’t see Doves play live for the rest of the year, though, as they’ve pledged to stay in the studio and work diligently in order to get their new album out, which will serve as the follow-up to their 2005 disc, Some Cities, which debuted at No. 1 on the UK album chart...

 Meanwhile, Beck has already been in the studio and out again, having wrapped work on his next studio effort.  Beck worked with long-time producer Nigel Godrich on the disc (Godrich also worked on Beck’s Mutations and Sea Change albums), and he will be previewing some of his new songs this month during a 10-date North American tour, after which he’ll hit the European festival circuit.  There’s no official release date yet for the Interscope Records album - which is also waiting for a title - but it’s expected this fall...

MINI BUZZ:
The Decemberists have nearly completed their latest album, The Crane Wife, which is set to hit stores on October 3; an autumn tour is also being planned...
Pink Floyd will be releasing a two-DVD set of their 1994 Division Bell Tour, which is due in stores on July 11 and will include the first filmed version of Floyd playing their The Dark Side of the Moon album in its entirety...
Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno may be reuniting for a string of live Roxy Music dates; Eno has already contributed to the band’s first new album in 25 years...
Indie rock bands Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes are teaming up for a North American tour this summer, which will include stops in Toronto (8/5), Detroit (8/6 at the Magic Stick), Chicago (8/7 and 8/8) and Minneapolis (8/9)...
Japanese pop duo Puffy AmiYumi, best known in the U.S. for their series, “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi,” which airs on the Cartoon Network, are releasing their latest album, Splurge, and will embark on a U.S. tour with a full backing band this July...
And Panic! At the Disco are setting out on tour, too, a U.S. tour, to be exact, with OK Go and Dresden Dolls along as opening acts...
And “opening” at a multi-media store near you this week are these new releases... ON CD:  Keane’s much-anticipated Under the Iron Sea...  Nelly Furtado’s Loose...  The Futureheads’ News and Tributes... The Replacements’ The Best of the Replacements... Guster’s Ganging Up on the Sun... and Sonic Youth’s Rather Ripped... ON DVD:  Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel... Luna: Tell Me Do You Miss Me... The Smiths: Under Review... and The Who: Quadrophenia Live... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.


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