Fresh paint fron The White Stripes

March 28, 2007

Fresh paint from the White Stripes
This doesn’t necessarily mean the demise of The Raconteurs, for those of you who have taken a liking to Jack White’s “other” band - but fans of White’s most popular project, The White Stripes, will be happy to know that the Stripes are back!  They’ve given a name to their upcoming new White Stripes album - they’re inexplicably calling it Icky Thump - and it’s expected out sometime in June or July.  And, as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve got a whole slate of concert dates set to begin in late July in San Diego.  Other White Stripes live dates will include stops in Phoenix, AZ (8/19), Chicago, IL (8/29, 8/30, and 8/31), Indianapolis (9/9), and Toronto (9/16) - and their September 24 show on Coney Island will include companion sets from The Shins and White’s Raconteur bandmate Brendan Benson...
 
Starbucks is generally a very polarizing kind of coffeehouse - either you love it or you hate it.  But one thing that’s hard to deny is that Starbucks is pretty darned good at putting compilation CDs together.  Their latest - a collaboration with famed L.A. radio station KCRW - features 15 terrific tracks, all live performances from the Sounds Eclectic show, and all cover versions of other artists’ songs.  Available at select Starbucks cafes starting this week, the set includes Rufus Wainwright’s version of Neil Young’s “Harvest,” Gary Jules’ version of Tears For Fears’ “Mad World,” The Flaming Lips’ version of Radiohead’s “Knives Out,” and M. Ward’s version of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” among others...

 Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos, who, prior to his music fame, was a chef in his native Glasgow, Scotland, has been busy lately combining music and food - well, in a way.  Kapranos has published a book called Sound Bites, which is a collection of his thoughts on various restaurants and foods around the world, many of the anecdotes collected during his tourings with the band.  While waiting for his book to climb the best-seller list, Kapranos has been in NYC producing the latest disc for UK band The Cribs, after which he’ll head back to Scotland to begin work on Franz Ferdinand’s third set - if the band’s lucky, perhaps Kapranos will whip ‘em up a few meals while they’re recording...
 
Once you eat a big meal, you’ve gotta exercise it off, of course - and now,  you can turn to Aesop Rock to do just that.  Working with Nike, Rock has crafted a 45-minute continuous mix that was created specifically “with runners in mind” and will make for a great accompaniment to your workout.  The mix can be snagged on iTunes for $9.99 - and, while you’re there, you can also download similar fitness offerings from the likes of The Crystal Method and LCD Soundsystem, who were the first two artists to work with Nike on the musical series...
 
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:  It’s a long link this week, but it’s worth it - if you weren’t able to attend this year’s SXSW Music Conference, you’re in luck, ‘cause Minnesota Public Radio has tons of coverage online for you to listen to and view - all for free at http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/features/specials/sxsw/
 
MINI BUZZ:
Former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox - a modern rock diva in her own right - is wrapping up work on her first solo album in four years, and expects to release the disc, produced by Glen Ballard, late in 2007...
R.E.M. are on their way back to the studio, too, to work with producer Jacknife Lee (Bloc Party, U2) on what will be their 14th studio album;  the new tunes are said to be heavier on the “rock” side than before, perhaps influenced by R.E.M.’s recent induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
Starsailor are another band working on new tunes - they’ve already begun recording demos for their next album, including the songs “Let Go,” “Change My Mind,” and “Won’t Stop Now”...Iron and Wine - otherwise known as Sam Beam - will release his latest studio album, The Shepherd’s Dog, later this year on Sub Pop Records...
Daft Punk are returning to U.S. and Canadian stages for the first time in nine years, and will be hitting stages across North America, in July and August including those in Los Angeles (7/21), Denver, CO (7/31), and Toronto (8/5)...Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will drop their latest album, Baby 81, on May 1, which they’ll follow up with a six week tour accompanied by opening act The Fratellis...
 
And hey, look!  Here are this week’s new releases...  ON CD:  The Stooges’ much-anticipated The Weirdness... The Style Council’s Our Favourite Shop... Aqualung’s Memory Man... Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ Living with the Living... Jesse Malin’s Glitter in the Gutter...  I’m From Barcelona’s Let Me Introduce My Friends... and ON DVD:  The U.S. vs. John Lennon... The Beatles: Let It Be - Limited Collector’s Edition... The Decemberists’ A Practical Handbook... and MusiCares: A Tribute to Brian Wilson ... 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