Iggie‘s back on track

Dec. 13, 2006

The always-hip Iggy Pop has teamed up with his Stooges to complete work on the band’s first studio album since 1973.  Recorded with Steve Albini in Chicago, the sessions were a result of several songwriting sessions at Pop’s Miami house earlier this year, and the musicians tracked everything live except for a few of the vocals, including one set of vocals contributed by The Raconteurs’ Brendan Benson. Although they’re still deciding on a title for the disc, it’s expected out in March, and will be followed by a spring tour; Pop and the Stooges are also on the ballot for possible induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will also be decided in the spring...
 
Muse have lined up a gig at Britain’s biggest stadium, namely the famed (and newly rebuilt) Wembley Stadium, for next summer. The gig will take place on June 16 at Wembley, which has a capacity of a whopping 75,000 people;  three opening acts are soon to be announced to serve as opening acts for Muse. Muse are, so far, the only confirmed concert scheduled for the new stadium, but the buzz is that more gigs will be announced for next summer after Muse’s performance...
 
New Yorker Lou “Velvet Underground” Reed and Tai Chi go together like... well, we’re not sure.  But, unbeknownst to most, Reed is an aficionado of the exercise form; he’s been a martial artist since the ‘80s, and is a private student of Master Ren GuangYi, who is putting out a new Tai Chi Chuan workout DVD. Set to be perhaps the hippest Tai Chi DVD on the market, Reed has composed an ambient electronic soundtrack for the program, and also provides the voice narration for Master Ren’s demonstrations...

The Billboard Music Awards took place last week, hosted by LL Cool J and complete with live performances from Green Day, Gwen Stefani, and Carrie Underwood. Winners included Green Day who snagged five awards, Shakira, Gwen Stefani, and ever-whiny Kanye West, who finally got what he likely considers his due with the Artist Achievement Award...
 
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:  New Year’s Celebrations are already taking shape, and one of the coolest is bound to be Nokia’s New Year’s Eve, which is being held simultaneously in five locales, namely NYC, Mumbai, Berlin, Rio, and Hong Kong.  The show will include sets from Scissor Sisters (in Berlin), Nelly Furtado (in Mumbai), and Black Eyed Peas (in Rio), among others, in an effort to spread that musical New Year’s love across the globe. Check it all out at
www.nokianewyearseve.com...
 
MINI BUZZ:
The Klaxons will kick off January with the release of their brand new single, “Golden Scans,” which will hit stores on January 22, a week before the band’s debut album Myths of the Near Future...
Punkers McQueen will begin their new year with a global tour in support of their own upcoming debut disc, Break the Silence...
McQueen will kick off 2007 with tours across the globe in support of their forthcoming debut album...
Nelly Furtado is set to record a duet with Kylie Minogue early next year...
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos made a surprise appearance at the Mint Records Christmas Party in Vancouver last week; Kapranos is in Vancouver to produce The Cribs’ new album...
The Arcade Fire are in the process of mixing their much-anticipated new album, but in the meantime you can catch their song “Rebellion (Lies)” in an ad campaign for the non-profit (Product) Red, the Global Fund charity initiative headed up by Bono...
And American music con-sumers have voted, making the 2006 Rolling Stone Band of the Year - Pearl Jam.  Pearl Jam?  Over all of the other bands that created interesting, experimental, fresh, and relevant music in 2006?  Uh, no comment...
 
ON CD:  Our Lady Peace’s A Decade... the original soundtrack for the new Dreamgirls motion picture... Yes’ Essentially Yes... Audiofly’s Undulation Vol. 2... John Cooper Clarke’s Zip Style Method... and U2 and Green Day’s The Saints Are Coming... 
ON DVD:  Elvis Presley’s Ed Sullivan Shows... Before the Music Dies featuring performances from Elvis Costello and Branford Marsalis, among others... Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Live ... and Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season, which includes retro musical performances from the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and Carly Simon.... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
 
Questions, comments, rants, raves on this column or your fave musicians?  Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com