Down Is The New Up
Over the weekend, Radiohead premiered possible songs off their forthcoming album in Kopenhagen. New song titles include '15 Step', 'Bangers 'n Mash', 'Spooks', 'Arpeggi', 'Open Pick' & 'House of Cards'. The At Ease message boards are swarming with unbearable Radiohead fans desperately trying to encode and decipher Thom Yorke's typically inscrutable lyrics. Not that I can really judge; back in 2002 at the zenith of my interest in the band, I could be found downloading FLAC bootlegs (lossless zealots are the worst) of their concerts in Basque country hoping to get a good sense of their new material. As many of you know, Hail to the Thief pretty much annihilated any interest I had in the band. While history and many of my friends don't seem to agree with me yet, I still hold it is as the most insufferable Radiohead album [although to be fair, Amnesiac is my personal favorite, so feel free to mock my music taste].
I am, however, curious to see what the band has up their collective sleeves. I was up at 10am on Saturday [morning], anxiously awaiting tickets to go on sale through the fiendish Ticketmaster. Beyond the ridiculous price gouging (service fees added up to approximately 27% of the total purchase), Ticketmaster gives you no preparation for what to expect when tickets go on sale. At 10:00:06 I was confounded by the radial option of either premium or standard tickets with nary an explanation of what these terms meant. Of course, since tickets sold out in less than a minute, I didn't have time to ponder the situation, so I picked one at random and crossed my fingers. Somehow the fates blessed me with an Orchestra level seat at the most gorgeous venue in Chicago - but surely there must be a better method than Ticketma($$)ter [dollar signs added for maximum effect - ed.]?
Radiohead isn't the only band that will be gracing us with a new album this year. A few tidbits on some of my other favorite artists:
Junior Boys: Although it name checks Žižek, this preview of the new Junior Boys album So This Is Goodbye sent my heart aflutter - just read the Goldfrapp analogy. While the "the removal of rhythmic tricksiness" has me a little concerned (Dark and Greenspan parted ways prior to the completion of Last Exit), "Teach Me How to Fight" and "When I'm Not Around" demonstrated that they can thrive without the skitter-beats.
Annie: MTV (of all places) reports that Annie is already hard at work again, this time paring up with The Smashing Pumpkin's James Iha - who did a fine remix of "Me Plus One" - as well as 80's throwback remixers Richard X and Alan Braxe. Annie simply doesn't work in a live setting (sorry Intonation!), but damn do I like the sound of the "new songs [being] more club-oriented — still '80s-sounding." Her DJ-Kicks album is pretty solid too, in case you missed it (check out the Alan Braxe and Fred Falke remix of DFA1979's "Black History Month" for evidence as to why she picked him as a producer).
The Rapture: "W.A.Y.U.H." leaked and it is just aching for a Phones 12'' extended remix. Brilliant - but you know I am biased.
Primal Scream: Well that is too bad. After two blistering albums and a slight mistep, Primal Scream seem to be returning to the Give Out But Don't Give Up era that everybody agreed we would be better off forgetting. Lead off single "Country Girl" is depressingly disappointing. While I am severly cautious about Riot City Blues [oh god...], I am intrigued by the inclusion of back up vocals of Alison Mosshart from The Kills. Perhaps she can inject some much needed vitrol into the flagging band?
DJ Shadow: Not much to say, but you can check out DJ Shadow's "3 Freaks" off his website. Loved The Private Press, and would really like to see him play stateside.
Massive Attack: No new news on Weather Underground, but the Hollywood Bowl has Massive Attack and TV on the Radio booked for September 24. What a cool venue - I am constantly impressed by the acts they pull in every summer. Hopefully, this means a larger tour with TV on the Radio opening and backing the band. And I totally called the Eilzabeth Fraser/Coachella happening. All is forgiven dear if you suit up with 3D and the gang this fall.
I am, however, curious to see what the band has up their collective sleeves. I was up at 10am on Saturday [morning], anxiously awaiting tickets to go on sale through the fiendish Ticketmaster. Beyond the ridiculous price gouging (service fees added up to approximately 27% of the total purchase), Ticketmaster gives you no preparation for what to expect when tickets go on sale. At 10:00:06 I was confounded by the radial option of either premium or standard tickets with nary an explanation of what these terms meant. Of course, since tickets sold out in less than a minute, I didn't have time to ponder the situation, so I picked one at random and crossed my fingers. Somehow the fates blessed me with an Orchestra level seat at the most gorgeous venue in Chicago - but surely there must be a better method than Ticketma($$)ter [dollar signs added for maximum effect - ed.]?
Radiohead isn't the only band that will be gracing us with a new album this year. A few tidbits on some of my other favorite artists:
Junior Boys: Although it name checks Žižek, this preview of the new Junior Boys album So This Is Goodbye sent my heart aflutter - just read the Goldfrapp analogy. While the "the removal of rhythmic tricksiness" has me a little concerned (Dark and Greenspan parted ways prior to the completion of Last Exit), "Teach Me How to Fight" and "When I'm Not Around" demonstrated that they can thrive without the skitter-beats.
Annie: MTV (of all places) reports that Annie is already hard at work again, this time paring up with The Smashing Pumpkin's James Iha - who did a fine remix of "Me Plus One" - as well as 80's throwback remixers Richard X and Alan Braxe. Annie simply doesn't work in a live setting (sorry Intonation!), but damn do I like the sound of the "new songs [being] more club-oriented — still '80s-sounding." Her DJ-Kicks album is pretty solid too, in case you missed it (check out the Alan Braxe and Fred Falke remix of DFA1979's "Black History Month" for evidence as to why she picked him as a producer).
The Rapture: "W.A.Y.U.H." leaked and it is just aching for a Phones 12'' extended remix. Brilliant - but you know I am biased.
Primal Scream: Well that is too bad. After two blistering albums and a slight mistep, Primal Scream seem to be returning to the Give Out But Don't Give Up era that everybody agreed we would be better off forgetting. Lead off single "Country Girl" is depressingly disappointing. While I am severly cautious about Riot City Blues [oh god...], I am intrigued by the inclusion of back up vocals of Alison Mosshart from The Kills. Perhaps she can inject some much needed vitrol into the flagging band?
DJ Shadow: Not much to say, but you can check out DJ Shadow's "3 Freaks" off his website. Loved The Private Press, and would really like to see him play stateside.
Massive Attack: No new news on Weather Underground, but the Hollywood Bowl has Massive Attack and TV on the Radio booked for September 24. What a cool venue - I am constantly impressed by the acts they pull in every summer. Hopefully, this means a larger tour with TV on the Radio opening and backing the band. And I totally called the Eilzabeth Fraser/Coachella happening. All is forgiven dear if you suit up with 3D and the gang this fall.
posted by d l wright at 5/08/2006 09:09:00 PM
1 Comments:
At least you have a reason to have lost interest in Radiohead... I liked Hail to the Thief... and yet, I didn't even hear about the new tour. Nor did I know for sure that there would be a new album this year. (I'm just had that vague sense that, at some point, it would happen.)
Post a Comment
<< Home