Dido Returns with New Electronica-fied Album
Electro-indie-pop singer-songwriter Dido’s long-awaited album is almost here, right on the heels of her Academy Award nomination (for co-writing the song “If I Rise” from the James Franco movie 127 Hours). Once again working with her brother, Rollo Armstrong (who was one of her bandmates in Faithless) as well as a few other producers, she says that the new set is much more electronic than her last album, 2008’s Safe Trip Home, and that she’s looking forward to performing the new songs live…
Influential Brit band The Kinks will reissue seven of their classic albums throughout this year, with each of the albums being reconfigured as double CDs, complete with added outtakes, demo tracks, session recordings, rarities, and a wealth of extensive liner notes. March 28 already saw two of the reissues hit stores, Kinda Kinks and The Kink Kontroversy (both from 1965); additional albums will be released in May and July…
The still-beleagured Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has been plagued with rewrites, injuries, and the departures of key cast members, has announced the departure of director Julie Taymor, who is being blamed in large part for the musical’s delay and failures to date. A new directorial and rewriting team is being put into place, and the musical’s opening has been rescheduled for early summer of this year (from March 15.) The Spider-Man… show will still include the music of U2’s Bono and The Edge, although with new arrangements and script content…
And the never-ending talents of Paul Simon are also on display yet again with his latest album, So Beautiful or So What, which dropped on April 12, causing NPR to dub Simon “a national treasure.” He’s currently on the road with his touring band, which includes Cameroonian guitarist Vincent Nguini, multi-instrumentalist Tony Cedras, and piano player Mick Rossi, promoting the new disc with a series of live shows, which will include stops in Toronto (5/6), New York (5/10 and 5/11), Chicago (5/17), and Atlantic City (5/28.)
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
The Decemberists are prepping to hit the road for a June tour in support of their The King is Dead album, including a stop at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music Fest - a road trip destination for Northern Michigan music fans - and June 14 at the Celebrate Brooklyn event in Prospect Park. A new EP is also just out from the band - titled Live at Bull Moose, it includes seven tracks, including one cover. To get all the details on the EP and the rest of their tourdates (including another stop in Interlochen), check out The Decemberists’ official site at www.decemberists.com...
MINI MODERN BUZZ:
R.E.M. are collaborating with a number of filmmakers to craft videos for every track from their new album, Collapse Into Now; so far, actor James Franco has helmed two vids, while Michael Stipe and his sister have directed another…
Ne-Yo has just wrapped a deal with Cartoon Network to produce his own show, which will reportedly be titled I Heart Tuesdays…
Trumpet player and Sting collaborator Chris Botti is heading to Australia this June to performing several headlining shows for the Melbourne Jazz Festival…
Lo-fi indie band Woods have wrapped worked on their latest album, Sun and Shade, and it will be available on June 14 on the band’s own Woodsist label…
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore’s L.A.-recorded fourth solo album, Demolished Thoughts, will hit stores via Matador Records on May 24…
Creed frontman Scott Stapp’s sophomore solo album plus an autobiography plus another Creed album (really?) are on the way between now and the end of next year…
And on the way right now - meaning this week, of course - are these new albums… Julian Lynch’s Terra… Memphis May Fire’s The Hollow… About Group’s Start and Complete… and French Horn Rebellion’s The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion… 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*
Electro-indie-pop singer-songwriter Dido’s long-awaited album is almost here, right on the heels of her Academy Award nomination (for co-writing the song “If I Rise” from the James Franco movie 127 Hours). Once again working with her brother, Rollo Armstrong (who was one of her bandmates in Faithless) as well as a few other producers, she says that the new set is much more electronic than her last album, 2008’s Safe Trip Home, and that she’s looking forward to performing the new songs live…
Influential Brit band The Kinks will reissue seven of their classic albums throughout this year, with each of the albums being reconfigured as double CDs, complete with added outtakes, demo tracks, session recordings, rarities, and a wealth of extensive liner notes. March 28 already saw two of the reissues hit stores, Kinda Kinks and The Kink Kontroversy (both from 1965); additional albums will be released in May and July…
The still-beleagured Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has been plagued with rewrites, injuries, and the departures of key cast members, has announced the departure of director Julie Taymor, who is being blamed in large part for the musical’s delay and failures to date. A new directorial and rewriting team is being put into place, and the musical’s opening has been rescheduled for early summer of this year (from March 15.) The Spider-Man… show will still include the music of U2’s Bono and The Edge, although with new arrangements and script content…
And the never-ending talents of Paul Simon are also on display yet again with his latest album, So Beautiful or So What, which dropped on April 12, causing NPR to dub Simon “a national treasure.” He’s currently on the road with his touring band, which includes Cameroonian guitarist Vincent Nguini, multi-instrumentalist Tony Cedras, and piano player Mick Rossi, promoting the new disc with a series of live shows, which will include stops in Toronto (5/6), New York (5/10 and 5/11), Chicago (5/17), and Atlantic City (5/28.)
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
The Decemberists are prepping to hit the road for a June tour in support of their The King is Dead album, including a stop at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music Fest - a road trip destination for Northern Michigan music fans - and June 14 at the Celebrate Brooklyn event in Prospect Park. A new EP is also just out from the band - titled Live at Bull Moose, it includes seven tracks, including one cover. To get all the details on the EP and the rest of their tourdates (including another stop in Interlochen), check out The Decemberists’ official site at www.decemberists.com...
MINI MODERN BUZZ:
R.E.M. are collaborating with a number of filmmakers to craft videos for every track from their new album, Collapse Into Now; so far, actor James Franco has helmed two vids, while Michael Stipe and his sister have directed another…
Ne-Yo has just wrapped a deal with Cartoon Network to produce his own show, which will reportedly be titled I Heart Tuesdays…
Trumpet player and Sting collaborator Chris Botti is heading to Australia this June to performing several headlining shows for the Melbourne Jazz Festival…
Lo-fi indie band Woods have wrapped worked on their latest album, Sun and Shade, and it will be available on June 14 on the band’s own Woodsist label…
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore’s L.A.-recorded fourth solo album, Demolished Thoughts, will hit stores via Matador Records on May 24…
Creed frontman Scott Stapp’s sophomore solo album plus an autobiography plus another Creed album (really?) are on the way between now and the end of next year…
And on the way right now - meaning this week, of course - are these new albums… Julian Lynch’s Terra… Memphis May Fire’s The Hollow… About Group’s Start and Complete… and French Horn Rebellion’s The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion… 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*