In what is interesting news to some, Ozzfest, which was once a lucrative touring festival, and later a “free”, half- assed touring festival, has now been downsized to a one day metalfest of sorts. My guess is bands finally realized that paying upwards of $80,000 to play for free on a nationwide tour is not worth it anymore. On the positive side, the lineup for one day show (held in Dallas, Texas at Pizza Hut Park) will feature performances from some pretty impressive bands; Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Serj Tankian, Hellyeah, Jonathan Davis and others. Kids that love outdated music and washed up, used-to-be-in-a-big-band-but-have-to-play-less-important-solo-music are stoked.

“Chemtrails,” a track off Beck’s as-yet-untitled next record is currently streaming for your persusal on Mypsace and on Beck’s fancy pants web site Beck.com. I’ll tell you one thing, this track sure sounds like Beck! HAHAha…ha..haha…ummm. Here’s the related press release since I’m too lazy to think of anything creative to write:

While not a single, “Chemtrails” is a genre-bending tour de force that showcases Beck and producer Danger Mouse’s shared affection for late ’60s psych-pop as Beck takes his songwriting and performing skills in yet another bold, unforeseen and as always captivating new direction.

The album is slated for an early summer release. More info will be available soon, including the record’s title, release date and upcoming singles.

Beck embarks on a world tour beginning late June in Europe, hitting the States in time for several major festivals (Bumbershoot, Outside Lands, Austin City Limits) as well as his biggest ever hometown headline gig September 20 at the Hollywood Bowl.

As I mentioned last month, with the exception of a few (a very few) newer artists like Coldplay, Capitol Records is banking on their roster of time-honored pop rock heavyweights (read: Dinosaurs) to pay the bills. Enter Beach Boys’ backwards beating brain and ticking heart, Brian Wilson.

BRIAN WILSON RETURNS TO CAPITOL RECORDS / EMI, HIS ORIGINAL LABEL HOME
NEW STUDIO ALBUM, ‘THAT LUCKY OLD SUN,’ TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2nd

“You don’t have to climb the Capitol tower, or play the Hollywood Bowl, if there’s a roll in your heart, and a rock in your soul…” (lyrics from That Lucky Old Sun’s “California Role”)

Hollywood, California – May 19, 2008 - He is one of popular music’s most deeply revered figures, a legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most cherished music in rock history. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most gifted and influential pop composers of the last 50 years. Today, Wilson announces his return to Capitol Records / EMI, his original label home. Wilson’s new studio recording, That Lucky Old Sun, will be released by Capitol/EMI on CD, CD/DVD, limited edition vinyl and digitally on September 2 (September 1 internationally).

Brian Wilson’s return to Capitol Records / EMI, where The Beach Boys caught their first hit wave with the 1962 classic, “Surfin’ Safari/409,” is a triumphant homecoming for one of the world’s most gifted and beloved musical talents.

“I’m thrilled to be back home with Capitol, and I’m looking forward to sharing That Lucky Old Sun with everyone,” says Brian Wilson. “This music is really special to me.”

“We are delighted to be working with Brian Wilson for his new album, That Lucky Old Sun,” says Guy Hands, Executive Chairman of EMI Music. “We all remember the feeling we got when we first heard The Beach Boys’ music. My particular favorite classic is ‘Surfer Girl.’ It always reminds me of driving an open top car down the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Barbara to Malibu. Brian Wilson is an iconic talent with enormous musical influence all over the world and we are very proud to be representing him.”

A musical love letter from Southern California, That Lucky Old Sun shimmers with sun-dappled choruses and arrangements that swell and swirl as if carried by the Pacific tides. One of the songs, “Midnight’s Another Day,” has been described by MOJO magazine as “glorious.” The album is narrated in transitional interludes spoken by Wilson as ‘That Lucky Old Sun,’ the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album’s musical story.

Concert dates after the… (more…)

I found out about the instrumental fucking badassness that is Russian Circles the old fashioned way, at least for me. I hadn’t even ever heard their name when I got their CD submitted for review by their publicist. The sad fact about review copies is that, being that we get about A HUNDERD a day around here, very few of them actually get listened to by yours truly, rather they get farmed out to our stable of review studs, or fucked directly off into the shit pile. But Russian Circles had that certain air about their CD, it just looked like the band responsible for it didn’t give a fuck. I mean, check it out:

Plus, it was on Suicide Squeeze, a label responsible for many similar such surprise bands-that-rule scenarios in the past (including one of my fav bands EVAR, The Six Parts Seven). Sweetening the pot even further was the fact that Station was produced by Matt Bayles, who is responsible for both some of the heaviest (Mastodon, Norma Jean) and some of the most epic sounding (Isis, Minus the Bear) records around. Not coincidentally, epic and heavy would be the two adjectives I would be most likely to use when describing Russian Circles. Less stoned than Isis, but more ballsy than Mogwai, the six jams on Station are long, but not drawn out, combing molten riffs with gently tapped melodic passages to create a musical backdrop for all sorts of gangster ass shit. Seriously, this record kicks fucking ass. Period.

Even more badass is the fact that the band’s current tour with Daughters is actually coming through Chico next month, so I get to jack them off not only in print, but in person too! Dates after tha jumppPppPppP: (more…)

Perennial American indie/folk-ers the Silver Jews will mark June 17th with the release of their sixth full-length record, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. David Berman is up to his usual tricks, spurting imaginative poetry that wraps beauty and sorrow around the everyday doldrums (”Suffering Jukebox”) , waxing whimsical fantasies (”Candy Jail”), as well as spinning good and long yarns (”San Francisco B.C.”). Berman’s wife Cassie is featured prominently on Lookout…, lending an undeniable female warmth to the feel of the record. The Joos are even touring for the occasion, with a current stint in Europe.

Tom Waits apparently held a “press conference” the other day regarding an upcoming tour by answering questions emitting from a record player in a room full of empty chairs. All that could be made from the announcements was an acronym using the first letter of each city on the excursion: “PEHDTSCKJMBA.” I’m going to guess that the first stop is Petaluma, but who knows—Tom Waits can pretty much do whatever he wants anyhow.