For once, there’s some festival news that isn’t all hype, advertising, or drudgery: It seems Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has launched an investigation into a clause in the contract artist’s must sign with Lollapalooza often called a “radius clause.” This clause states that any act agreeing to perform at a particular festival cannot perform within a certain radius of that festival for a certain amount of time. Apparently, this obscure legal clause is standard for many major music festivals. Lollapalooza, however, apparently has the worst of them all. For artists agreeing to perform at Lolla, you cannot perform within a 300-mile radius within 6 months before or 3 months after the festival. 300 miles away from Chicago’s Grant Park, where Lolla is annually held, includes Madison, Milwaukee, and Detroit (as well as every place in between), which, for the amount of time agreed upon by those artists signing this contract, is a ridiculous agreement. Madigan hasn’t publicly stated the cause for the investigation, but it’s probably safe to assume that something illegal may or may not be going on. More on this news as it comes up.
-Christian Hagen
In “News that will excite a lot of people especially Chris Bosman” today: Nicki Minaj, who has found her way as a guest vocalist on countless big name releases in the last year, has finally announced her debut album’s title and release date. Minaj, whose talents are well-regarded and whose hype is almost out of control, posted the following on her Twitter: “11.23.10 – PINK FRIDAY – The Album.” Succinct and to the point. Gotta love it. As the tweet suggests, look for Pink Friday to drop in stores November 23.
-Christian Hagen
A new production of Shakespeare’s most well-known play, Romeo and Juliet, will use the music of Jeff Buckley to heighten the play’s already burgeoning sense of tragic love. The adaptation is entitled “The Last Goodbye,” after a song on Buckley’s debut album Grace. Since Buckley past away in 1997, the creator had to get his mother’s permission to use the songs. She is notorious for being extremely discerning when selecting projects worthy of Buckley’s music. The fact that she signed off on “The Last Goodbye” is a very favorable augury. I was deeply immersed in Buckley’s music when I was a teenager, and I think his music runs parallel to the sentiment of Romeo and Juliet, an relenting take on young love and inescapable loss. I wonder how well this adaption will play at its debut in Massachusetts at the Williamstown Theater Festival. Are we going see this on Broadway a la Green Day’s American Idiot?
-Dan Wipert
Animal Collective co-frontman Avey Tare a.k.a. Dave Portner is set to release his first truly solo album this October 26th via Paw Tracks. Portner has previously released a solo-ish album with his wife Kristin Anna Valtysdottir called Pullhair Rubeye which was an acoustic and completely backmasked album. If you reversed the album it was actually pretty wonderful and dreamy. The upcoming Down There is reported to not be backwards. No word yet on the actual sound of the album, but it was recorded by fellow band mate Deakin who was last on the Animal Collective album Strawberry Jam, so probably something in that ballpark. The tracklist is:
Laughing Hieroglyphic
3 Umbrellas
Oliver Twist
Glass Bottom Boat
Ghost of Books
Cemeteries
Heads Hammock
Heather in the Hospital
Lucky 1
-Cooper Foyt
What’s that saying? A picture is worth 194 comments and 369 “likes” on Facebook? Something like that. Click here and you’ll find a rather mediocre-quality photograph that’s making the cynical music blog rounds about yet another legendary band reuniting. [Insert lame joke about how we didn't know we needed another reunion.] This time it’s Ric Ocasek and co., aka The Cars, that have reportedly (and by reportedly, I mean that’s what the aforementioned picture implies) gotten back into the studio 23 years after last playing music together. And while this is all way more speculative than possibly any other reunion rumor that’s ever pranced around the music geekosphere, I’m particularly intrigued by this one. Not only did The Cars make some of the most infectious 80s tunes that also don’t sound terribly dated or chintzy, but Ocasek has remained a force to be reckoned with in the music industry as a more than capable producer and studio musician for nerd rock icons like Weezer (circa the Blue Album) and Possum Dixon. So if this turns out to be more than just a one-off gig or two for fast cash, a reunion album could actually not be just a failed experiment. That’d be just what I nee–no, I can’t do it. Sorry.
-Chris Polley
In a rare turnabout, Kanye West is making the news not for making an ass out of himself. Over the past week, the Louis Vutton Don took to the offices of Facebook, Twitter, and Rolling Stone magazine to talk to employees and drop some a cappella verses from his upcoming new album. The rhymes Yeezy drops are some of his hottest since Late Registration, not to mention dude is stylin’ in these vids. Really, if this isn’t Ye’s best work since his debut, I’ll be disappointed.
-Chris Bosman
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The following OMDs are due up this week. Check out how we feel about these albums a month later!
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Hey! It’s time for our Weekly Playlist! Listen to it!…….YEAH!
Chris P. – “Harmonie Du Soir” by Haruka Nakamura is a light and airy instrumental number that floats out of your speakers so effortlessly and refreshingly that you’d swear it was made by a band of cuddly forest creatures and not one single brilliant composer. But indeed it was, and Nakamura’s new disc Twilight is full of this kind of breezy neo-classical excellence.
“Then I Hope You Like The Desert” by Lights Out Asia proves once again that the Milwaukee trio still think they broadcast to outer space instead of other stargazing effects dweebs like yours truly. This is okay, though, because with such lofty and rich compositions like this one, off their latest In The Days Of Jupiter, makes them come off as a rich man’s U2, not afraid to get hyper-emotional, but also pile on the glitches and obfuscated melodies. Staring at the night sky has never sounded so good.
Dan – Magic Kids “Candy”
Magic Kids are my favorite band right now. Sincerity mixed with sweetness and ramshackle vintage pop song.
Brothertiger “Feel”
This is definitely chillwave, and I most definitely like it. Not sure if it has the depth and emotion of Washed Out, but only time will tell.
Chris B. – Kanye West, “Power”
Kanye has always been at his best when he turns a critical eye on himself. On the the first track from his new album, “Power”, West shows a self-awareness and restraint that was lacking on his last two records. “Power” is Yeezy in all of his duality, alternately attacking his critics (“They said that I was the abomination of Obama’s nation/ Well that’s a pretty shitty way to start the conversation.”) and agreeing with them (“No one man should have all that power”). The wordplay would be pointless if West was still obsessed with minimalism and Auto-Tune, as he was on 808s & Heartbreak, but this time he’s in full-on ear-candy mode, borrowing from King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” and crafting a beat that careens and caterwauls musically as much as West does emotionally.
Salem, “King Night”
Salem is one of the bands fronting this new sub-genre being referred to as either “witch house” or “drag”, depending on who you’re talking to. Less than a year ago they were making tracks that were nothing more notable than the incidental music to a B-grade horror movie. “King Night”, the title track of their new album, is miles ahead of that. It maintains the morbid, dark atmospherics that are typical of the genre, but add an absolutely massive beat, a backing of vocal coos and some destructive, obliterated synths. No matter how hokey the genre name may sound, “King Night” represents one of the most original tracks I’ve heard all year.
Christian – “Quequ’un M’a Dit: We Outta Here Baby” by My Sick Uncle
Folks like our own Chris Bosman have tried convincing me for ages that Lil’ Wayne is anything more than the rapper with the most time on his hands of any alive, but until My Sick Uncle’s 500 Days of Weezy mashup, I never got the hype. While I still don’t think he’s the best rapper alive, My Sick Uncle manage to bring out the best of Wayne’s lazy flow and make it come alive in a truly refreshing way. Upbeat twee pop from the soundtrack for 500 Days of Summer elevates “Barry Bonds,” easily the weakest track on Kanye West’s Graduation, to a level beyond respectability, to potential classic.
Cooper – “The Neighbors” by St. Vincent
Gliding along on syrupy strings and the angelic voice of Annie Clark, “The Neighbors” opens like a nostalgic dream set in the 1950’s. And then an off stage guitar flurry and shuffling drum beat enter, snapping the song out of a window gazing day dream and back into reality as Clark morosely wonders what her family and neighbors would think “if they only knew”. The song is off of Clark’s excellent album Actor, and this song has remained one of my favorites. The mood and melodies are touching and cut deep into me with every listen, stirring genuine emotion in a way that few albums ever have. To say that this is a song that could leave you in tears is an understatement.