Dancing About Architecture 04.04.06
Posted by Ian Wright on 04.04.2006
Radiohead news, Sufjan vanquishes his foes, more on the Smith reunion, Nirvana for sale, Bono is pissed and some Pet Sounds.
The bit at the start
A guy from on a forum that I frequent posted today asking if seeing Micah P. Hinson live was worth missing Wednesday's Arsenal-Juventus Champions League quarter final second leg. I of course wouldn't miss that game for the world but I'm not facing that dilemma as Hinson is playing Cork that night and isn't playing Dublin till this Friday when I'm completely free.
Actually I had completely forgotten that Hinson was playing this week, I wasn't all that impressed with his last record but I thought his debut was very worthwhile and while I was writing the bulk of this column decided to stick it on to see if it would convince me to head along on Friday.
And it has, I'd completely forgotten how good some of the songs on that album are, he's a really gifted songwriter. It's a rare pleasure to rediscover an album that you haven't listened to in a while, it's not that you don't like the record but you just get out of the habit of listening to it and when you do come back to it it's like hearing it for the first time again.
It's something that I experienced twice today; the other record it happened with was this one...
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album
Elbow – Cast Of Thousands.
Hadn't listened to this in 2 years. It's gorgeous
Experience the workings of other people's minds.
Ben have complimentary opinions on Fred Durst. You think that's enough to base a relationship on.
Mathan found a wonderful Elliot Smith album second hand (I'm on a real Either/Or kick at the minute).
You news, you lose
I'm really frightened, hold me.
Thom Yorke has said that writing the lyrics for Radiohead's upcoming album is similar to when he was writing OK Computer and that despite rumours that the follow-up toHail To The Thief will be overtly political the opposite is true.
He said: "It's about that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, 'I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else'.
Interestingly enough it's similar to 'OK Computer' in a way. It's much more terrifying. But 'OK Computer' was terrifying too -some of the lyrics were."
The band will hit the road next month and will unveil material from the as yet untitled album but according to Yorke the band are "finally getting somewhere", and are optimistic that the songs will be ready for the tour.
"Listening back to things we are doing and looking through the lyrics today and stuff it feels like we are finally getting somewhere", he explained. "There are lots of songs. Too many to get together straight away. So we will be furiously rehearsing and writing as we go."
"I think we've always worked best when we aren't bothered about making mistakes. Theres a lot of baggage about the old way of doing things that is hard to get over... all the 'album' crap. Just this level of pressure that is ridiculous. We're just going to do what feels right at the time. Quite into the idea of singles at the moment (that don't get on the radio). No grand design... wherever we are at. Some of the random stuff we have at the moment could be the most exciting."
The band are currently considering 16 tracks for the album with some of the likely contenders including 'Nude' (yay), '15 Step', 'Arpeggi' and 'House Of Cards'.
This could speed up the release of any new old material.
Courtney Love has sold a 25% share of her stake in the Nirvana publishing catalogue for a reported $50m. The buyer? Former Virgin Records executive Larry Mestel who currently works at Primary Wave Music Publishing.
"I took on a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me co-manage the estate because it was overwhelming," said Love. "I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation. And this guy's the guy to do it." She did not go on to add "Also I really need the cash right now".
Commenting on the deal Mestel said, "Kurt was an incredible songwriter, and Courtney is an exceptionally talented person herself. So I felt the combination of Courtney's creativity and the things I can add can really help in creating more value for these copyrights."
So does this mean that you're going to see Nirvana songs used on TV commercials? Maybe, but maybe not, Love told Rolling Stone that, "We're going to remain very tasteful, and we're going to [retain] the spirit of Nirvana and take Nirvana places it's never been before."
Despite selling a large amount of her stake to Mestel Love still exerts a lot of control over the Nirvana catalogue, 75% of 98% to be exact which begs the question, how much did Dave and Krist get screwed there?
Awards in reasonably deserving winner shocker.
Sufjan Steven's Illinois won the inaugural New Pantheon Award last week by deservedly beating out records by Animal Collective, Antony and the Johnsons, Fiona Apple, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie, the Decemberists, Kings of Leon, and M.I.A. It also undeservedly beat Arcade Fire's Funeral to take the $5000 prize and accompanying trophy. It also undeservedly beat The National's "Alligator" which wasn't even nominated.
The New Pantheon Award is the successor to the new defunct Shortlist Prize and honours the best in under-the-radar music. In order to have been eligible for nomination the album must have been released in the US between July 1st 2004 and October 30th 2005 and sold less than half a million copies at the time of nomination.
If Daniel Johnstone fucks up "God Only Knows" I swear I'll hunt him down and hurt him.
It was announced last week that Do it again: A tribute to Pet Sounds, featuring the talents of Micah P. Hinson (who is seemingly a requirement for all tribute albums), Patrick Wolf, The Wedding Present and Architecture in Helsinki, will be released this autumn on Houston Party Records. According to the label the title is a reference to the ever-demanding Brian Wilson's habit of getting the musicians he was recording to do the same song over and over without offering any further instruction. Oh that kooky ex-Beach Boy.
Oh wait a sec, he is kooky.
Tracklisting:
01 Oldham Brothers: "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
02 Vic Chesnutt: "You Still Believe in Me"
03 Nobody and the Mystic Chords of Memory with Farmer Dave: "That's Not Me"
04 Centro-Matic: "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)"
05 Micah P. Hinson: "I'm Waiting for the Day"
06 Raygun: "Let's Go Away for a While"
07 Dayna Kurtz: "Sloop John B."
08 Daniel Johnston: "God Only Knows"
09 Mazarin: "I Know There's an Answer"
10 Jody Wildgoose: "Here Today"
11 Patrick Wolf: "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"
12 Architecture in Helsinki: "Pet Sounds"
13 The Wedding Present: "Caroline No"
They turned down how much???
A couple of weeks ago news broke that the organisers of the Coachella music festival had offered the surviving members of The Smiths* $5m to reform and play the festival. Now Johnny Marr has said that they've turned down offers of even more than that in the past.
Writing on his website the guitarist said "I don't really want to get into figures, but yes, I was made an offer for the Smiths to reform at Coachella. I was also offered twice as much for us to play in New York, Hyde Park and God knows where else."
If we're talking about double the Coachella offer then we're talking 8 figures folks. However despite the crazy money being offered the band have never reformed with Morrissey saying a couple of weeks ago, "Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am."
*Seeing as none of them are dead that would be all of them. It's just usual to use the word "surviving" when you're talking about reforming bands.
I feel used.
Bono has SLAMMED, that's right slammed, Italian Prime Minister (and all round "has too much control of the media in that country" guy) Silvio Berlusconi for using his picture in an electioneering magazine. A week ahead of the Italian election (they elect porn stars there don't you know?) a brochure published by the Forza Italia party has been sent to millions of Italian voters. In it it lists the achievements of Berlusconi (#1: dodging prosecution) and features many photos of him alongside world leaders as well as a picture of Bono, the caption for which reads "The Irish star is grateful to the prime minister for the actions promoted by the Italian government towards poor countries".
In a letter published in an Italian newspaper on Monday Bono responded by saying "Mr Berlusconi, as flattered as I can be of appearing in your brochure, I also feel a bit exploited."
According to Reuters Bono said that he recalled a conversation with the Italian PM where he pledged to fulfil the pledges made at last year's G8 summit.
Bono said that Italy would have to more than double its handouts by 2010 to honour this commitment. "If your commitment is real and your signature is trustworthy, then the world wants to know how Italy intends to reach this target," Bono added.
This is pretty dodgy on the part of Berlusconi to include a picture of Bono in his literature as Bono has always been very careful not to talk about political figures outside of the debt relief issue but I can see an easy fix, the opposition simply has to run ads with the same caption saying "Berlusconi hangs out with this preachy windbag, why would you vote for him?"
Writing under the influence
Without which this column would not have been possible:
Whipping Boy – Submarine.
Elbow – Cast Of Thousands.
Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and the gospel of progress.
Mogwai – Mr. Beast.
The Wrens – The Meadowlands.
The bit at the end
Normally the only sport I mention here is football but I've got to say it feels pretty good to be an Irish rugby fan right now.
