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THEY ARE THE CHAMPIONS
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Along with new goodies from the likes of The Verve, She & Him and Mercury Rev, NME’s 10-album playlist for this week lists Ameritown from the Eastern Conference Champions as getting the most spins on the office stereo. The trio's full-length debut is described in the accompanying blurb as “Biting U.S. indie mixed with Radiohead-esque intricacy, produced by Oasis’ man, Owen Morris.” Ameritown streets July 17 on Suretone.
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SCARLETT, TOM & DAVE
One of the spring’s biggest musical surprises is Anywhere I Lay My Hat, Scarlett Johansson’s album of Tom Waits songs, with much of the critical praise being heaped on producer Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio (pictured). In an LA Weekly interview with the actress turned songstress, John Payne notes that “Sitek brings a real credibility to this project. He’s bursting with ideas about the possibilities of resonant sound in a meeting between Johansson and Waits. He drapes much of the material in a Phil Spectorish wall of reverbed sound laced with a billion tiny shards of unidentifiable musical texture.” As Johansson told Payne, “When I listen to Waits, there’s such a dreamy quality about his songs, like being in a whole other world, and I wanted to create a world I called my own. Then someone suggested Dave from TV on the Radio, and I was just such a huge fan of that massive sound they did, and I thought I’d like to see what his take would be on it.” Payne points out that Sitek and Johansson worked out a lot of the concepts for the album during a drive from L.A. to Louisiana, listening to Sigur Rós, Scott Walker and, of course, Waits. “That’s how these songs got born, in a way,” said Johansson. “We had an understanding by the time we got down there.”
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WHAT'S GOING ON
Gnarls Barkley has announced a slew of upcoming festival performances behins The Odd Couple. The duo has confirmed 20 dates so far, including: the Roots Picnic in Philly, the Soco Music Experience in Denver, the Quart Festival in Norway, the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, Rock Werchter in Belgium, Eurockness in France, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, the Benicassim Festival in Spain, Lollapalooza in Chicago and the ACL Festival in Austin. More will be announced as soon as the band is allowed to disclose. “Summer is a time to get outside, meet new people, try new things, and dance, in whatever way you dance,” said a spokesperson for the band, whose identity must remain a secret. “If anyone can coax the people outside, Gnarls can. Any excuse for a righteous throw-down.” And check out the brand-new, infectious and touching clip for “Going On” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_R9fId_Rqo
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JACKET REQUIRED
Fresh off their much-buzzed-about appearance at SXSW, and with a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall around the corner, My Morning Jacket has just confirmed a pair of high-profile performances. On May 10, the much-adored and critically acclaimed band will play Saturday Night Live for the first time ever. Additionally, they’ll play hometown Louisville this summer for the first time since Thanksgiving of 2006. The show, set for Aug. 16, will take place in a picturesque setting—on The Great Lawn at the city’s Waterfront Park. MMJ is set to release their new full-length, Evil Urges, on ATO on June 10 in North America, and through Rough Trade on June 9 in the U.K. and Europe. We’ve been blasting the new record, co-produced by Jim James with the brilliant Joe Chiccarelli (Raconteurs, White Stripes, Shins)at New York’s Avatar and Nashville’s Blackbird, and it’s nothing less than mind-blowing. In fact, if you ask us, Evil Urges is an instant classic. |
GUESS WHO'S BIRTHDAY IT IS?
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We don't usually do this. To be honest, this is a first for the Chrysalis site. But a combination of unabashed sentiment and the impulse to suck up has overtaken us, and we just wanna say, in all sincerity: Happy birthday, Kenny Mac. You don't look a day over 39, boss.
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