Gorillaz are back with Plastic Beach

March 7, 2010

Gorillaz Are Back with Plastic Beach
For those of you who’ve been waiting for a new Gorillaz album - well, the wait is finally over. Plastic Beach is the animated band’s newest set - they call it the “most pop” thing they’ve completed to date - and it’ll be in-stores on March 9. You may have already heard the first single, “Stylo,” complete with cameos from Mos Def and Bobby Womack; other guests who collaborate with Gorillaz include Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys, The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, and Lou Reed, among others...
Acclaimed Canadian indie singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has just wrapped recording on his new album, and is now in the mixing and mastering stages; Sexsmith, who hopes to have the disc out early this year, says that the sessions for the new set were “wonderful,” and that he plans to hit the road behind the album with a full band and all the new songs in tow. Sexsmith fans might also want to keep an eye out for his appearance on Elvis Costello’s TV show Spectacle, on which he appeared alongside Sheryl Crow and Jesse Winchester; the episode is in reruns on the Sundance Channel, and will also hit Canadian TV stations in early 2010, so watch your cable listings...
Fellow folkie Joe Henry, who’s been keeping busy with a variety of production projects as well as his own music, is continuing promotion of his most recent album with a quintet of tour dates on the U.S. East coast and Midwest, during which he’ll share his unique blend of country, jazz and rock; this particular album also adds some blues into the mix. Henry’s live shows will include stops in NYC (3/8), Vienna VA (3/9), Philadelphia (3/10), Ann Arbor MI (3/12, at The Ark), and Chicago (3/13), during which he’ll rock the house at the Old Town School of Folk...
And the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano has released their list of the “All-Time Top Ten of Pop and Rock Albums, which they call their “modest guide to point you on the road to good music.” So just what do the Vatican think of as the top ten? Well, here are the understandable: The Beatles’ Revolver, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Paul Simon’s Graceland, U2’s Achtung Baby, and Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? - and the ones that might make you say “huh?”: David Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name, Donald Fagan’s The Nightfly, and Carlos Santana’s The Supernatural... (and before you start emailing in your complaints, yes, Crosby, Fagan, and Santana are worthy musicians - but putting these particular albums on an “all-time top ten” list? Not necessarily...)

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Angels and Airwaves have released their newest album, Love, with the first single, “Hallucinations,” hitting radio now; and believe it or not, the entire album is available for download - for free - at the band’s website, so snag it while you can at
www.angelsandairwaves.com...

MINI BUZZ:
Speaking of which, the results are in for 2009, and Coldplay, Harry Connick Jr., Alicia Keys, and Bob Dylan are among the artists topping the list of those making charitible efforts throughout last year, including charity albums, fundraisers, and other charity partnerships...
Shaun Ryder’s band The Happy Mondays have been tapped to headline the Wychwood Festival on June 5...
NYC shoegazers The Depreciation Guild will present their latest album, Spirit Youth, May 18 on Kanine Records...
The fourth annual Stagecoach Music Festival has been set for late April 2010 in Indio, California; the country/bluegrass/folk-heavy lineup will include Keith Urban, Sugarland, and Carlene Carter, among others...
Bright Eyes has recorded four new songs - “Rollerskating,” “Happy Accident,” “Someone’s Love,” and “I Know You” - that will be included in a reissue of his 2004 EP, One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels, that will hit stores on March 23rd...
And the Almost Alice soundtrack album, a companion to the new Johnny Depp-starring Alice in Wonderland movie, is out now, complete with tunes from Owl City, Metro Station, Pete Wentz, and Avril Lavigne...
This week’s new releases... ON CD: Alberta Cross’ Broken Side of Time... Phantom Communique’s The Wolf and the Sheep... Rogue Wave’s Permalight... and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Beat the Devil’s Tattoo... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your favorite musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at
modernrocker@gmail.com