The Current Music Blog: May 13, 2008 Archive

The Stream 05/13/08

Posted at 9:00 AM on May 13, 2008 by Barb Abney

Common will be in the new Terminator movie.

What's your favorite Bowie tune?

Green Day to tour as Foxboro Hot Tubs.

Today In Music History:
1943 - Mary Wells (first artist to record on the Motown label) was born.
1950 - Stevie Wonder was born.
1966 - Alison Goldfrapp was born.
1971 - Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) was hospitalized after she crashed her Mercedes in San Francisco.
1978 - Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" was #1.
1985 - Bruce Springsteen married Julianne Phillips.
1988 - Chet Baker died.
2003 - The Darkness signed to East West Records.

Live Blogging 05/13/08

Posted at 9:01 AM on May 13, 2008 by Barb Abney

Tunes On The Telly Tonight:
Death Cab for Cutie on Letterman

11:45 a.m. Catherine Wheel
New Rob Dickinson download.

11:35 a.m. The Submarines
Their latest effort is Honeysuckle Weeks.
They have upcoming gigs with Headlights.
More...

11:20 a.m. The Raconteurs
Here's an interesting interview with The Guardian.

11:15 a.m. Death Cab For Cutie
Narrow Stairs hit the shelves today.
They're playing The Orpheum on June 2nd.
More...

11:00 a.m. Iron & Wine
They're playing First Avenue on June 11th.
More...

10:45 a.m. M.I.A.
She's playing The Myth tonight.
Check out tix prices/details for her upcoming MOMA show.
More...

10:25 a.m. Ladytron
"Ghosts" is the first single from their forthcoming album Velocifero which will be released on June 3rd.
Pre-order it here.
More...

10:20 a.m. Local Music - OME
Mark Edwards is taking time off from the OME project to work more on The Arrest.
More...

Song Of The Day Info - No Age
Today on our Song Of The Day Podcast we're featuring No Age with the tune "Cappo" from their album Nouns.
They're playing The Triple Rock Social Club on Jul 21st.
More...

9:50 a.m. Stereolab
They're playing First Avenue on October 12th.
More...

9:40 a.m. Local Music - Chris Koza
The Dark Delirious Morning is the new record.
The CD release show is Saturday, June 7th at First Avenue with This World Fair, These Modern Socks, and The Parlour Suite.
More...

9:35 a.m. The Breeders
They're playing First Avenue on May 30th.
More...

9:10 a.m. Coldplay
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends will be released on June 17th.
Pre-order it now to get some instant Coldplay gratification.
They're playing Excel Energy Center on July 8th.
More...

9:00 a.m. Billy Bragg
He's playing The Cedar Cultural Center on June 13th.
More...

"My 3 Songs" for Tuesday

Posted at 3:23 PM on May 13, 2008 by Steve Seel (1 Comments)

Brian Thompson of Plymouth MN writes today, "When I miss someone, I really miss them -- and listening to songs that affirm just how normal it is to feel like this helps me to feel better. While they're not exactly happy songs, sometimes bit of melancholia is good for the soul."

1) The Honeydogs, "I Miss You"
2) Dar Williams, "I'll Miss You 'Til I Meet You"
3) Fountains of Wayne, "Someone to Love"

Lyrically, you're right about the melancholia, Brian -- but I wouldn't necessarily call those Honeydogs or FOW songs morose musically. But they make a great set and that's the point here! Nicely done.

I was reminded recently of the tune that many feel offers up the last word on missing someone. If it's not the ultimate, it sure is a pretty strong contender.

Comment on this post

David Byrne Wants You to "Play the Building"

Posted at 5:06 PM on May 13, 2008 by Steve Seel

This seems like a natural extension of what Dave's pal Brian Eno was doing several years ago, when Eno turned empty buildings into works of slowly mutating visual art. Starting May 31, Byrne is taking over New York's Battery Maritime Building and turning the whole structure into a giant musical instrument.

Why is this kind of thing so cool? I think it has to do with something Eno himself suggested years ago, as part of the motivation behind his Ambient Music recordings. Essentially, he said that most of his art was about "making special places," arising from the same subconcious place that inspires a child to build a fort out of a blanket draped over the dinner table. I see his act of co-opting of the structures that were designed for other purposes and turning them into "art" (i.e. "play") as the same thing; Byrne's musical building merely takes this to its logical extreme, and lets you bang on the hood of Dad's Ford LTD with Mom's cooking spatulas.

Still, as for "turning your location into music," this classic piece by New York percussionist David van Tieghem is pretty hard to beat (the sloppy video editing hasn't aged well, but it's still fun).