Dancing About Architecture 07.11.06
Posted by Ian Wright on 07.11.2006
Tom Waits to tour, thoughts on The Eraser, the final World Cup thoughts, Interpol, CBGBs, ATP and Canadian Awards.
The bit at the start
It's over.
No, not my life, but it kinda feels like it.
One month, 60+ games. I could probably count on the fingers of 2 fingers the number of games I could have watched but chose not to. And now, it's over.
Italy probably were deserved winners, they were outplayed by France in the final but over the course of the tournament Italy were the best side. And it would have been unjust had Fabio Cannavaro performed so brilliantly in all the games and then lost the final. He was an immense figure for Italy and no matter what the people who voted for the Golden Ball thought he was far and away the best player of the tournament.
As for France, and Zidane, it was very sad. I wrote in the sports zone when I previewed the second round that his poor performances were tarnishing his legacy, then he redeemed himself in the knock out phases with some great football, and then he ended his career with a thuggish act. Those that don't know the game have been saying that he's disgraced himself completely and that's how he'll be remembered; I don't think that's the case. Look at Maradona, he ended his career with a succession of drugs bans and what do people remember? Mexico in '86, that's what.
I'll get into it more in the sports zone's final world cup roundtable but you can't imagine how empty I feel at the minute. I might just go for a lie down.
Wake me in four years.
Oh right, the column.
Beg, borrow, buy, steal or download this album
TV On The Radio Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes.
You must own this album, new rule.
Experience the workings of other people's minds.
Read it all.
You news, you lose
I wonder if Carlos is a Battlestar Gallactica fan.
Interpol (who if they took the best half of their debut and the best half of their follow up would have the greatest album ever) updated their website recently, the news is kinda inane but hey, there isn't much else going on at the minute. The posting began, "Things are good. Gettin' some rest... gettin' some sun. We did break up- four times- but that's all behind us now. Carlos got a dog. His name is Gaius. Italian greyhound- looks like Carlos. Also, I think I'm moving to Jersey City; because that's where the action is really at. Whoever the people on MySpace are, they're not us."
The update also said that the band have been working on material to follow up 2004's Antics for the last 6 months but as yet haven't begun recording but hopefully the album will be done sometime next year. Interpol haven't been too forthcoming with details but they have "one gem in the works" called The Heinrich Manouver' (that crazy Carlos D. and his Nazi imagery and his groupie shagging), and another that used to be called Pawn Shop' but now isn't.
The band also gave a shout out to their fans who continue to have a special place in their "little pulsating musical minds", how sweet.
Oh look, another indie award.
The UK has the Mercury Music Prize.
The US had the Shortlist Prize and now has the New Pantheon Award (AWFUL, AWFUL name).
Canada has the pretty fantastically named Polaris Prize (see, even when it comes to awards names Canada leads the way) and the nominees for this year's award were announced this week.
Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
The Deadly Snakes - Porcella
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Sarah Harmer - I'm a Mountain
K'naan - The Dusty Foot Philosopher
Malajube - Trompe L'Oeil
Metric - Live It Out
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
The nominees were selected by a panel of 120 Canadian judges and the award is open to any Canadian album released between July 1, 2005 and the end of May this year. The winner will be announced on September 18 in Toronto and will pick up a prize of $20,000 (but that's probably Canadian money though).
Obviously I haven't heard all the nominees but I'll be upset if Final Fantasy or Wolf Parade don't win; forget Canadian lists, WP was in my overall top ten last year and He Poos Clouds is my current #1 of the year.
Save CBGB's, just give it up lads.
Well it's almost all over bar the shouting (naturally accompanied by very fast guitars) folks, September 30 will see CBGB's close it's New York doors for the final time
before moving it's operations to Las Vegas
I'll pre-empt some of you here
SSSEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL OOUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTT
my, what a lot of ellipses that was.
Club owner Hilly Kristal spoke to MTV.com recently about the plans to take the club to Nevada, "[The Vegas CBGB] won't be the same size or the same shape, but I am going to have all the things that matter there (oh look, another one) I am taking the bars with me, I am taking the stage - I'm taking the urinal that Joey [Ramone] pissed in with me. I'm going to take a lot of things - anything that makes this place CBGB." Are you taking the toilet that Debbie Harry and whichever one of Blondie she was going out with used to ride in Hilly? Are ya?
If the Vegas operation is a success Kristal may open CBGB's in New York again but in a different location but he's got more than enough on his plate right now with the move to Nevada and the rather daunting prospect of chemo and surgery to face to take care of some recently diagnosed lung cancer. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery.
Hmm.
Clap Your Hands Says Yeah began work on their second album last month and they've enlisted a pretty big name to assist them with production duties. Dave Fridmann (Low, Sleater Kinney, The Flaming Lips umm Gemma Hayes) will start recording with the band next month.
Well, that was quick.
ATP, ATP.
Thurston Moore continues to just pick up the phone and people say yes to playing this December's ATP on the south coast of England. It was announced recently that Dinosaur Jr., Nurse With Wound, Gang Of Four and Be Your Own Pet will appear alongside Wolf Eyes (boo), Iggy And The Stooges (cool) and naturally, Sonic Youth (YAY).
The full lineup so far is,
Iggy & the Stooges
dkt/MC5 featuring Mark Arm
Sonic Youth
Deerhoof
Dinosaur Jr.
Melvins
Gang of Four
Six Organs of Admittance
Nurse with Wound
Wolf Eyes
Jackie-O Motherfucker
Be Your Own Pet
Bardo Pond
Wooden Wand
Sunburned Hand of the Man
Magik Markers
Charalambides
My Cat Is an Alien
The Skaters
Alexander Tucker
Richard Youngs
Negative Approach
Dead C
Monotract
Prurient
Awesome Color
If you can you should go to these gigs.
Tom Waits
Why are you not playing Ireland Tom? Why do you hate me so?
08-01 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
08-02 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
08-04 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre
08-05 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
08-07 Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
08-09 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
08-11 Detroit, MI - Opera House
08-13 Akron, OH - Akron Civic
Sufjan Stevens.
09-11 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
09-15 Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
09-16 Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
09-19 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
09-20 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater (PASTE Fest)
09-21 Chapel Hill, NC - Memorial Hall
09-23 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Theater
09-24 St. Louis, MO - Pageant
09-25 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
09-26 Chicago, IL - The Riviera
09-28 Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
09-29 New York, NY - Town Hall
09-30 New York, NY - Town Hall
10-09 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
10-11 San Francisco, CA - Zellerbach Hall
10-13 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10-14 Vancouver, British Columbia - St. Andrews Cathedral
10-15 Seattle, WA Paramount
Writing under the influence
Without which this column would not have been possible:
Talk Radio.
Mission Of Burma A Gun To The Head.
The bit at the end
So, The Eraser I didn't expect to like it, or I thought that if I was going to like it it'd take a few listens to get my head around. To my very pleasant surprise when I bought it on Sunday (it was released here on Friday) I found myself enjoying it straight away. There's been lots of talk about it being minimalist electro and all beeps and blips but there's more than enough piano and guitar and some very cool bass on it. Not to mention, THAT voice. I think if you liked stuff like "The Gloaming" and "Myxomatosis" from Hail To The Thief I think you'll like this.
Slow news week in the past 7 days, you should read last weeks column if you missed it. It was jam-packed.
I started "Our Band Could Be Your Life" last night, look good thus far.
