Smashing Pumpkins, in a recent posting on the band’s official website, have announced that they’ll be releasing a special landmark box set of their 1991 debut album, Gish, some time later this year. SP frontman Billy Corgan didn’t say specifically what will be included in the set (“no one knows for sure,” he wrote), but chances are it will include a good amount of special features, as the band is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. The set’s release date will also reportedly coincide with a Smashing Pumpkins Gish Tour, also set to take place in late 2008...
Between 1991 and 1995, Peter Gabriel held “Recording Week” sessions at his English recording studio, Real World - an ongoing event that’s become somewhat legendary among musicians. Now, those sessions have resulted in a pan-global, musician-filled CD called Big Blue Ball that’s a remarkable overview of world music, featuring a whopping 75 artists from over 20 countries. Produced by Gabriel himself, the disc includes contributions and performances from the likes of Karl Wallinger (World Party/Waterboys), Aussie singer-songwriter Tim Finn, Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys), Sinead O’Connor, guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), flamenco guitarist Juan Canizares, Asian percussionist Joji Hirota, Tanzania’s late music legend Hukwe Zawose - the list goes on and on. The drums are big, the beats are danceable, and the whole project, according to Gabriel, was “the most fun music-making” he’s ever participated in...
Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, and Pearl Jam will be taking part in the third installment of the VH1 Rock Honors series, this one set to take place at Los Angeles’ Pauley Pavilion on July 12. All three bands will pay tribute to The Who, in addition to a few additional performers and presenters, before The Who themselves take the stage for the evening’s finale. But don’t fret, Who fans (or Foo fans, for that matter) - you’ll be able to see the Rock Honors show on TV - just tune in to VH1 on July 19. There’s more good news, too; proceeds from the event’s ticket sales will benefit multiple charities, including the VH1 Save the Music Foundation...
And Talking Head David Byrne’s “Playing the Building” sound-art installation at NYC’s The Battery Maritime Building is now up and running - if you’re going to be in New York, make sure you stop by (noon to 6:00 pm, weekends only), and you’ll get a chance to literally “play the building.” The infrastructure of the building - meaning the metal beams and pillars, the water and heating pipes - have been attached via wind, vibration, or striking to an organ keyboard, making the building elements themselves the “instruments.” Very cool. Admission is free of charge, and the installation will be around until August 10; after that, Byrne will be otherwise busy touring with longtime collaborator Brian Eno...
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Want a sneak peek at what Arcade Fire’s been up to lately? Then stop by http://www.nme.com/artists/arcade-fire tocheck out an audio file of what they’ve been working on (look under “Arcade Fire Media Player,” where it says “New Tune Snippet”)...
MINI BUZZ:
As expected, the title track from Coldplay’s new album, “Viva la Vida,” has topped the charts in the UK, making it Coldplay’s first number one single; the album itself is also at the top of the UK albums chart...
In related news, The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard, whose own band has got a pretty good industry buzz happening, has declared that he’s a fan, speaking out in a recent interview to call Coldplay “the best band in the world”...
In Odd Music News, New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg and Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis were spotted sitting next to each other and cheering for opposite teams at the Lakers/Celtics NBA final game...
The 2008 Newport Folk Festival has made a few additions to their lineup for August 1-3, including Jakob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Cowboy Junkies, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson...
Also in Newport, the 2008 JVC Jazz Fest is set for August 8-10, with performances from Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Soulive, Dave Holland, and Sonny Rollins, among others...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have changed the rules for the 2009 Original Song category; due to “Enchanted” and “Dreamgirls” dominating nominations the past couple of years, they’re now only allowing two songs from any one given film to be nominated...
And perhaps you’ll be nominating some of this week’s new releases to win the money in your wallet... ON CD: Alkaline Trio’s Agony... Electric President’s Sleep Well... Los Lobos’ Forgiven... Hercules and Love Affair’s Hercules and Love Affair... Fairport Convention’s Live Across the Centuries... and a vinyl repressing of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... ON DVD: Mudhoney’s Live at El Sol... John Mayer’s Any Given Thursday... My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade is Dead... and Ben Folds Five: The Complete Sessions... that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your fave musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com
Between 1991 and 1995, Peter Gabriel held “Recording Week” sessions at his English recording studio, Real World - an ongoing event that’s become somewhat legendary among musicians. Now, those sessions have resulted in a pan-global, musician-filled CD called Big Blue Ball that’s a remarkable overview of world music, featuring a whopping 75 artists from over 20 countries. Produced by Gabriel himself, the disc includes contributions and performances from the likes of Karl Wallinger (World Party/Waterboys), Aussie singer-songwriter Tim Finn, Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys), Sinead O’Connor, guitarist Vernon Reid (Living Colour), flamenco guitarist Juan Canizares, Asian percussionist Joji Hirota, Tanzania’s late music legend Hukwe Zawose - the list goes on and on. The drums are big, the beats are danceable, and the whole project, according to Gabriel, was “the most fun music-making” he’s ever participated in...
Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, and Pearl Jam will be taking part in the third installment of the VH1 Rock Honors series, this one set to take place at Los Angeles’ Pauley Pavilion on July 12. All three bands will pay tribute to The Who, in addition to a few additional performers and presenters, before The Who themselves take the stage for the evening’s finale. But don’t fret, Who fans (or Foo fans, for that matter) - you’ll be able to see the Rock Honors show on TV - just tune in to VH1 on July 19. There’s more good news, too; proceeds from the event’s ticket sales will benefit multiple charities, including the VH1 Save the Music Foundation...
And Talking Head David Byrne’s “Playing the Building” sound-art installation at NYC’s The Battery Maritime Building is now up and running - if you’re going to be in New York, make sure you stop by (noon to 6:00 pm, weekends only), and you’ll get a chance to literally “play the building.” The infrastructure of the building - meaning the metal beams and pillars, the water and heating pipes - have been attached via wind, vibration, or striking to an organ keyboard, making the building elements themselves the “instruments.” Very cool. Admission is free of charge, and the installation will be around until August 10; after that, Byrne will be otherwise busy touring with longtime collaborator Brian Eno...
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Want a sneak peek at what Arcade Fire’s been up to lately? Then stop by http://www.nme.com/artists/arcade-fire tocheck out an audio file of what they’ve been working on (look under “Arcade Fire Media Player,” where it says “New Tune Snippet”)...
MINI BUZZ:
As expected, the title track from Coldplay’s new album, “Viva la Vida,” has topped the charts in the UK, making it Coldplay’s first number one single; the album itself is also at the top of the UK albums chart...
In related news, The Kooks frontman Luke Pritchard, whose own band has got a pretty good industry buzz happening, has declared that he’s a fan, speaking out in a recent interview to call Coldplay “the best band in the world”...
In Odd Music News, New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg and Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis were spotted sitting next to each other and cheering for opposite teams at the Lakers/Celtics NBA final game...
The 2008 Newport Folk Festival has made a few additions to their lineup for August 1-3, including Jakob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Cowboy Junkies, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson...
Also in Newport, the 2008 JVC Jazz Fest is set for August 8-10, with performances from Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Soulive, Dave Holland, and Sonny Rollins, among others...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have changed the rules for the 2009 Original Song category; due to “Enchanted” and “Dreamgirls” dominating nominations the past couple of years, they’re now only allowing two songs from any one given film to be nominated...
And perhaps you’ll be nominating some of this week’s new releases to win the money in your wallet... ON CD: Alkaline Trio’s Agony... Electric President’s Sleep Well... Los Lobos’ Forgiven... Hercules and Love Affair’s Hercules and Love Affair... Fairport Convention’s Live Across the Centuries... and a vinyl repressing of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... ON DVD: Mudhoney’s Live at El Sol... John Mayer’s Any Given Thursday... My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade is Dead... and Ben Folds Five: The Complete Sessions... that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your fave musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com
