Weezer just say No to Styrofoam

Jan. 9, 2011

Weezer Just Say No to Styrofoam
Three interesting Weezer items this week - the first being that Weezer’s frontman, Rivers Cuomo, has announced that he can see himself heading up the two-decades-strong band until he’s at least sixty years old. “That’s the cut-off point, maybe,” Cuomo recently told website Nola.com. Those who are fans of the band will also already be aware of our second news flash - that the band have quickly followed-up their eighth studio album, Hurley, with a rarities set called Death to False Metal, which was quietly released in December. And third (and most amusing) is the fact that one of Weezer’s tour contracts has been released online, with such notable items being the band’s on-the-road requests for a meditation room at each venue, as well as vegetarian food, specific brands of chocolates (Teuscher), jams (St. Dalfour’s), salsas (Paul Newman’s), teas (Ito En Tea), and bread (Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain), and a proclamation of “No Styrofoam Anywhere.” Now there’s a band who knows what they want and aren’t afraid to ask for it...
DeVotchKa are currently spending some time in the desert city of Tucson, Arizona in order to write and begin work on their next album, which will serve as the follow up to their 2008 Anti Records debut set, A Mad and Faithful Telling. No word yet on a release date - although this year is most likely - but you can probably count on a somewhat desolate theme, given their current locale, plus, of course, the inclusion of more of DeVotchKa’s wacky and innovative selections of instruments from the theramin to the tuba...
U.K. singer-songwriter Adele has completed work on her latest album, too, on which she collaborated with British producer Paul Epworth and Red Hot Chili Peppers producer Rick Rubin, in addition to doing some songwriting with the likes of Francis White, Jim Abbiss, Ryan Tedder, Fraser T. Smith, and (Semisonic’s) Dan Wilson. Named 21, Adele’s album will hit stores in mid-February in the U.S., and a month earlier as a U.K. import. Slightly darker and more bluesy than her previous effort, the set’s first single, “Rolling in the Deep,” will hit radio January 16...
And singer Shirley Manson has confirmed that the band Garbage, too, have reunited to work on recordings for their fifth album, their first since 2005’s Bleed Like Me. Manson has been working in the studio with fellow bandmates guitarist Steve Marker, guitarist-bassist-keyboardist Duke Erikson, and drummer Butch Vig, who also serves as the group’s producer. The band have reportedly already recorded a decently large number of songs already, and now just need to pick and choose which will appear on the new album, which has no release date as of yet, although touring is also expected this year...

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
The Gin Blossoms - the little band that never seems to go away via their trio of ‘90s hits that still rotate to this day on radio stations nationwide - have finally put out a new disc, complete with production by fellow ‘90s rocker Danny Wilde of The Rembrandts. The album, No Chocolate Cake, is out now on 429 Records, and you can hear it before you buy it at their official site, www.ginblossoms.net...

MINI MODERN BUZZ:
Foo Fighters first two live shows of 2011 have been announced; they’ll play both at the Milton Keynes Bowl in the U.K. on July 2 and 3, with Death Cab for Cutie sharing the bill for the July 2nd show...
In other Foos news, the band is also working on a new studio album, which is expected to be released some time in 2011...
While Glee may have managed to snag the rights to using music by Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga, there’s one band that won’t ever become Gleeksters - Damon Albarn says that there’s “no way” Gorillaz’ music will ever be featured on the TV show, because he finds the Glee versions of songs “a very poor substitute for the real thing”...
Speaking of Madonna - as if she doesn’t already have enough of an entertainment empire - Michigan’s own pop diva has teamed up with her manager, Guy Oseary, to open a multi-location venture called Hard Candy Fitness Gyms; the first opened in Mexico City in mid-November, with others set to open in Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Asia, and Europe... Manic Street Preachers have had to postpone their two London shows at Brixton Academy due to singer James Dean Bradfield’s laryngitis; those dates are now rescheduled for January 21st and 22nd, get well soon James...
Long-dormant Fiona Apple reportedly finally has a new album on the way; although it’s yet untitled and details are sketchy, the set apparantly is scheduled for release in spring 2011...
And scheduled for release right about now are this week’s featured new CD releases... Cake’s Showroom of Compassion... Steel Magnolia’s Steel Magnolia... Jake Shimabukuro’s Peace Love Ukelele... Wire’s Red Barked Tree... and Cage the Elephant’s Thank You, Happy Birthday... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock..
Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.