Elliott Smith‘s Last Words

July 28, 2004

Late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith’s final album, From a Basement on the Hill, is now set for a fall release date, with the final tracklisting and songs overseen by both members of Smith’s family and his longtime collaborator Rob Schnapf. Although it’s been rumored that Smith had recorded over 30 songs for his latest album project, the final decision is that 15 tracks will reside on the disc, which also features drumming by the Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd, and bass and backing vocals by Quasi’s Sam Coomes. Among the songs that made the cut are opener “Coast to Coast,” “Pretty (Ugly Before),” “Strung Out Again,” “A Passing Feeling,” and the sadly named “Fond Farewell” and “Last Hour.” The full album will hit stores on October 19...

The 2004 Mercury Music Prize, one of the UK’s top honors for British and Irish music, are coming up on September 7, to be broadcast on the BBC. Potential shortlist contenders for this year’s awards include The Streets (for their sophomore album A Grand Don’t Come For Free), Franz Ferdinand (also up for album of the year), Keane (for Hopes & Fears), Basement Jaxx, Snow Patrol, Belle + Sebastian, and veteran artist Robert Wyatt, whose Cuckooland is his first album in six years. The Mercury Music Prize is voted on by a panel of musicians, music industry experts, and journalists, and is based on a list of albums nominated by labels, with 180 albums on the nomination list this year...
Another UK artist, legendary former Jam member Paul Weller, is prepping to release his 8th studio album, his first that will be released worldwide through V2 records. Weller, who has apparently been considering recording a covers album for some time, will do just that with his latest disc, with a song by Sister Sledge (“Thinking of You”) serving as the album’s first single. Also included on the disc will be Weller’s versions of songs by Bob Dylan, The Carpenters, and Aaron Neville. Dubbed Studio 150, you’ll be able to grab Weller’s latest effort in both the UK and the U.S. in late September...

Who sez music and... uh... foot races?... don’t mix? Nike has developed a special event called Run Hit Wonder that was a success in Los Angeles earlier this year, and now they’re taking their big idea to Chicago, New York, and Portland. The premise of Run Hit Wonder involves both an actual foot race (5K and 10K, for those of you interested) and a quirky roster of retro bands, who will perform sets along the race routes. Among the bands who have signed up to be involved are A Flock of Seagulls, Dramarama, Tommy Tutone, Tone Loc, Kajagoogoo, and General Public - ’80’s stars, all - and a post-race party featuring Devo is also scheduled for all the events. More details and registration info can be found at http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/runhitwonder. Now let’s just hope Dramarama don’t forget their neon running shoes and parachute warm-up pants...

And you might want to keep an eye out for U2’s new album - even though it’s not set for release until this fall. The band were apparently at a photo shoot in France for the album’s cover art when an unmixed version of the new Steve Lillywhite-produced disc was found missing. Although everyone at the shoot was questioned, the rough cuts were not found, and French police are not confirming whether they believe the disc was simply lost or stolen. But we’ll bet that Bono and the boys would be happy to see it back, no matter how it managed to disappear...

MINI BUZZ:
The Foo Fighters, who have recorded their past several albums in front man Dave Grohl’s basement studio in Virginia, are now building a studio in L.A. to record their next disc, which is rumored to be a two-record set of both acoustic and rock tunes...
Canada’s Simple Plan are in a recording studio, too - in Toronto, where they’re working hard on a new album of their own...
The Music’s new album, Welcome to the North, is due out on September 20 - but if you can’t wait that long, log on to www.nme.com and throw ’em 99 pence (about U.S. $1.85 ) for The Music’s new single of the same name...
ODB and Macy Gray have reportedly recorded a version of the old Elton John/Kiki Dee chestnut “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart” as a duet - good luck finding the track, though, as no one’s saying whether the track will end up on ODB’s new disc (which will be released under the moniker “Dirt McGirt”), on Gray’s new album or will be released as a single on its own...
And Fatboy Slim’s much-anticipated new album, which he’s dubbed Palookaville, is now set for an October 5 release date, complete with Slim’s quirky cover of the ’70’s Steve Miller song “The Joker,” which is due to hit radio on July 27 complete with guest bassist Bootsy Collins from Funkadelic...

ON CD: The Hives’ much-anticipated Tyrannosaurus Hives... hard-core punkers the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Miss Machine... Less Than Jake’s B is for B-Sides... R trio Mis-teeq’s eponymous Mis-teeq... Jessica Simpson’s sibling Ashlee (that’s with two e’s, thank you) Autobiography... and Static X’s Beneath... Between... Beyond... ON DVD: Doors of the 21st Century: L.A. Woman Live... Shakira - Live and Off the Record... Filth and the Fury: A Sex Pistols Film... and Switchfoot: Live in San Diego... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

READERS: With this issue we introduce a new comic in the Express: “Stripwax” by Jeff Noise of Wisconsin. “Stripwax” is both a comic strip and a CD review. Check out www.stripwax.com for other samples of “The world’s only comic strip record review” and expect some jabs at big radio and the record industry as well as heads-up on must-have CDS.