U2 feels the beat in Morocco

June 13, 2007

U2 feels the beat in Morocco
All four members of U2 have arrived in the African country of Morocco, along with long-time producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, to begin songwriting sessions for what is assumed will be the next U2 album, although U2’s Bono says that, for the time being, they’re just writing to write and see what happens. Lanois and Eno, although having primarily worked with U2 to date in a producing sense, will be co-writing some of the songs along with the band. It will be interesting to hear if the distinctive African rhythms and native music will influence the band’s next set of compositions...

Ex-Pulp guitarist Richard Hawley has completed work on his fourth solo album, and is prepping to release the disc in late August in the UK, with a U.S. release date expected shortly thereafter. The Mercury Prize-nominated musician has dubbed his new set Lady’s Bridge, and it includes tracks “Tonight the Streets Are Ours,” “Valentine,” “I’m Looking For Someone to Find Me,” “Dark Road,” “Roll River Roll,” and “Serious”...

Welsh modern rockers Super Furry Animals are set for a busy summer indeed - they’ve just finished mixing on their new album, Hey Venus! which will include tunes “Neo Consumer,” “Carbon Dating,” and “Wolves,” and it’ll hit stores on August 27th on Rough Trade Records. The band is set for a summer tour that will see them making stops across the UK, including sets at the Glastonbury Festival (6/22) and Lovebox Festival (7/21). Plus, SFA frontman Gruff Rhys, promoting his debut solo disc Candylion, will be embarking on his own tour dates, and the band’s Guto Pryce has comprised a mix set of dub tunes on a new CD titled Furry Selection: Luxury Cuts of Trojan Records Chosen By a Super Furry Animal. The Pryce CD is in stores now, and tix are gradually becoming available by date for the Furries’ live shows...

Swedish rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives have been sequestered in the recording studio working on their new album, Origin Vol. 2, which will serve as the sequel (duh) to their 2005 release, Origin Vol. 1. There’s no release date for the new set yet, but the band expects it will be out some time next spring, and they say it’s heavier than their previous release. While-U-Wait, you can have some fun keeping your eyes out for possible scattered TSOOL live shows; they don’t have a definite schedule, but they just wrapped a brief Chinese tour and also popped in to the North by Northeast Fest in Toronto last weekend...
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK: Love the idea or hate it? Wilco have decided to license several songs from the band’s newly-released Sky Blue Sky album to promote Volkswagens. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy defends the band’s participation in the advertisements by saying that not only do the band members like and drive V-Dubs, but they also see this as both a way to promote their music and a way to get paid (which, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t always happen to great effect from CD sales.) See what the band has to say at http://wilcoworld.net/news...
MINI BUZZ:
The Strokes - and their high-top tennis shoes - have announced that they’ve decided to take the next year off from any recording or touring, meaning no Strokes albums or tour dates any time soon; fans can, however, still check out Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. on tour, as he’s continuing to promote his solo debut disc, Yours to Keep...
Limbeck, on the other hand, are going to be on the concert trail right through until September, with The Format along as supporting act; catch both bands in Hotlanta (7/25), Toronto (8/16), Boston (8/19)... Grand Rapids MI (8/30), Detroit (8/31), and Chicago (9/1)...
British MC Mike Skinner - otherwise known as The Streets - is hard at work on his fourth album, which is expected to drop this upcoming December...
New Yorkers Interpol have snagged indie rockers Calla for the opening act on their summer tour; catch ‘em live on July 19th in Rochester NY, July 27th in Grand Rapids MI at The Orbit Room, July 28th in Detroit at the State Theater, and on August 4th at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Festival...
Detroit’s own White Stripes have added even more tour dates to their already dense itinerary, promoting their new album, Icky Thump, to the likes of Chicago (9/4 and 9/5), Salt Lake City, Utah (9/12), Austin, Texas (9/15), and Anchorage, Alaska (9/24)...
In other Stripes-related news, Jack White may be playing none other than mid-50s-era Elvis Presley in a comedy called Hard Walk set to hit theaters next year...

And not next week, but this week, is where you’ll find the latest new releases... ON CD: Paramore’s Riot!... the Deluxe Edition of Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation... Blue Scholars’ Bayani... Ex-X frontman John Doe’s A Year in the Wilderness... and Katatonia’s Live Consternation... ON DVD: Stevie Nicks: Live at Red Rocks... Tony Bennett: Duets - The Making of an American Classic... O.A.R. - Live from Madison Square Garden... and the Rolling Stones’ The Stones in the Park ... 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