At least one BLURT editor and one BLURT writer feel that way. It's because, as Glen Hansard says, "The Conformist is just fucking beautiful."

By Blurt Staff

Posted to the site this morning is our CD review of Doveman's The Conformist, issued recently by the Brassland label. So why are we also posting a news item about the album? See the dek, above.

Reviewer Ian Mathers awards it a "10" out of 10 possible stars, and we don't chuck that many stars in the direction of an artist lightly. But it really is one of the year's finest efforts, something we sensed might be waiting in the wings for Doveman, a/k/a Thomas Bartlett, ever since his 2007 album With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead and, more recently, his 2008 recasting/reimagining of the Footloose soundtrack - the latter left us so smitten we even ran a feature on it, which you can read here. Bartlett has been working with folks like the Swell Season and the National, and he's greatly admired in certain artistic circles, but we suspect with this new album he'll be hailed as one of America's premiere young composers and performers in his own right.

At any rate, you need to take a look at Mathers' review, and more to the point, you need to hear The Conformist. Writes Mathers, "Normally with a record this gorgeous and accomplished I wouldn't spend much or any time talking about the guest musicians; the music is so great that doing so feels like a waste of words.  But The Conformist is so good, and Thomas Bartlett's music as Doveman is usually so undervalued, that I'll take pretty much any opportunity to get people interested."

Needless to say, we agree. It's because the album is just fucking beautiful.

And it's also a benefit for Feeding America, so do the right thing.

By Blurt Staff

Yoni Gordon and the Goods with Franz Nicolay (of the Hold Steady & World/Inferno Friendship Society) and Emilyn Brodsky have cut a cover of the Pogues holiday hit, "Fairy Tale of New York."  They are doing a special 2 song single and are asking people who download it from their site to donate five dollars to Feeding America.

Feeding America is an organization that partners up with local foodbanks across the country to help feed some of the millions of Americans who are spending the holidays without enough money to put food on their tables.

Here is the link to the music for download.

And...

 Here is a link that will take you right to the donation page! So come on folks, step up, and make sure you go to BOTH links. You're on the honor system.

Some Pogues for you:

Stooges, ABBA, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, Hollies and... David Geffen?!?

By Fred Mills

That's right - David friggin' Geffen, record industry mogul, artist manager, label president, and at various points in time the most hated/feared man in the biz. Geffen (pictured above with a pair of fans) is among the non-performers getting nods at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony next year. Songwriters Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, plus Jesse Stone, Mort Shuman and Otis Blackwell are also to be honored as recipients of the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

But the big names, of course, are the artists, and after several previous nominations between them, both the Stooges and ABBA are finally getting in - deservedly so.

The bones of contention, and there are always plenty of those each year, are the other inductees: British Invasion alumni the Hollies, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and prog-rock mooks Genesis. But overall, the field was considerably stronger this year than usual, so we won't complain much.

"We are very happy to present this year's inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as they represent a great cross-section of artists that define the broad spectrum and history of rock and roll and people that have contributed immeasurably to our business" said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President & CEO Joel Peresman, in a statement posted at the Rock Hall website.

The ceremony: March 15 at NYC's Waldorf Astoria in New York City. This year it will air live on the Fuse network, which is probably better than airing it on MTV or VH1, but not by much.

Meanwhile, let's revisit what we know about the Rock Hall, shall we? Go here to read Chris Parker's expose published in the fall issue of BLURT...

Year of the Black Rainbow purports to tie up all those loose ends of the first four albums.

By Blurt Staff

Columbia will be releasing the next Coheed and Cambria album Year of the Black Rainbow early next April. It's the prog/metal/jam band's fifth studio effort and will be made available in a a deluxe package including a 300+ page prose novel of the same name, co-written by Claudio Sanchez and New York Times bestselling author Peter David. The book promises to "tell the origins of Coheed and Cambria, and much more."

Wow. We are all about origins, having grown up on Marvel and DC comics! "The new album will be the 'Origin Story' or 'The Prequel,' and likely the final story of the ongoing concept story of 'The Amory Wars.'," says a recent post by the band at their official website.

Presale information on the deluxe edition will be announced toward the end of December.

Year of the Black Rainbow provides the "prequel"to the band's four previous interrelated concept albums -- The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002); In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (2003); Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (2005) and Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow (2007) --  which comprise "The Amory Wars," the conceptual narrative driving the band's lyrics, penned by Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez.

Through the group's career, Coheed and Cambria have created consistently complex and challenging musical soundscapes to frame the psychological and narrative arcs of the band's futurist mythic visions.

Year of the Black Rainbow is produced by Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction) and Joe Baressi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool).  According to Coheed and Cambria, "They have helped us evolve our sound to be more powerful and dynamic than ever and we think it's definitely our best work to date."

Intended as tribute to the late Jake Drake-Brockman.

By Blurt Staff

Iconoclastic chanteuse Elizabeth Fraser will have her new EP "Moses" issued Jan. 26 via Rough Trade, It is dedicated to celebrating the life of Jake Drake-Brockman, a close personal friend of both Fraser and her partner and musical collaborator, Damon Reece (Spiritualized, Massive Attack, Echo & The Bunnymen, BOM).

The musician was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in September. Fraser and Reece said in a statement, "That the passing of such a wonderful man and great friend cannot go unmarked." All proceeds from the sale are going to Jake's family.

For early adopters, the iTunes EP version can be found here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/moses-ep/id340381781


Jake was a pivotal latterday member of Echo and The Bunnymen as well as with BOM and The Hook ‘Em Boys; he was also a highly respected sound engineer for the BBC.

Add Fraser and Reece:

"A talented musician, a technical genius/blagger, a jack-of-all-trades and master of many, Jake was a vibrant reminder to us all of what it is to be alive. His lust for life, keen intellect and Dunkirk spirit were a beacon of light in a world that is rapidly fading into mediocrity and convenience. As unique and individual as the classic motorcycles he loved so much, Jake was the last of the Mohicans. The Earth is a duller planet without him."

"Moses" was written and performed by Jake, Elizabeth and Damon and is backed with two re-mixes: the first by Thighpaulsandra (Julian Cope, Spiritualized, Coil) and the second by Andy Jenks (previously of Alpha and presently of The Flies, Spaceland).

Read an interview with Fraser about the EP in Britain's The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/26/cocteau-twins-elizabeth-fraser-interview

Pre-sale and layaway plan starts TODAY.

By Blurt Staff

Dates for the 2010 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival have now been confirmed:  Friday, April 16, Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, 2010 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. Artists slated to appear at the festival will be announced in the near future.

Festival organizers have announced a pre-sale and layaway plan starting Monday (December 14) at 10:00 AM for those interested in planning their travel in advance of the lineup announcement. In addition, the 2010 event will offer concert-goers expanded camping options including car, RV and traditional tent camping. 

For more information on festival tickets and camping options, please visit www.coachella.com. 

Among the initial signings: Magnetic Fields, Mark Kozelek, Rogue Wave, Atlas Sound, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Four Tet, John Vanderslice, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Wallpaper, Zee Avi, The Limousines & Foreign Born.

By Blurt Staff

Noise Pop 2010 - he 18th annual Noise Pop Festival - will take place February 23rd through March 1 at venues throughout San Francisco. Early artist confirmations include Magnetic Fields, Mark Kozelek, Rogue Wave, Atlas Sound, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Four Tet, John Vanderslice, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Wallpaper, Zee Avi, The Limousines & Foreign Born.  More shows will be announced in the coming weeks along with films, art shows, and more.

In addition, the confab Industry Noise will take place on Saturday, February 27^th at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. Noise Pop's mini-conference discusses independent music, technology, and the changing industry.  Attendees can meet industry pros, listen to influential speakers, advance their artistic and business ventures, and learn more about current possibilities and opportunities. In addition to panels and speakers, there are small discussion groups and individual mentoring. Panelists and Keynote speakers will be announced soon. 

Badges went on sale last week - Festival badges are $150, while admission to Industry Noise is an additional $50 (or $65 if you don't purchase the festival badge). A limited number of badges include access to the Magnetic Fields show at the Fox Theater on Saturday February 27th, or the Herbst Theater on Monday March 1, 2010. Tickets to individual shows are on sale as well.

Details, tickets, etc: http://www.noisepop.com

It's right here in black and white: acquisition pointedly, though legally, does not include provision to do the right thing and compensate musicians for moneys owed.

By Fred Mills

In one of the more fascinating stories to come over the newswire over the weekend, the Wired.com editorial "MySpace/Imeem Deal Leaves Thousands of Artists Unpaid" is definitely the most eye-catching one. Provocative, too - in a resoundingly depressing manner.

Reporting on the recent deal struck between MySpace and Imeem (Imeem basically ran out of money and MySpace scooped it up at firesale prices), Wired.com notes that the deal pointedly did "not include Imeem's liability to more than 110,000 independent artists with Snocap storefronts" when MySpace purchased its assets.

Writes Wired.com, citing an unnamed source close to the situation:

"Those artists' contracts mandate they be paid each month if they're owed more than $20. Some artists have been owed money for more than a year, and the chance of them seeing any money now is, for all intents and purposes, zero.

"Artists attempting to get paid for songs sold through Snocap stores - many or most of which were on MySpace itself - must get in line with Imeem's bank and other creditors. MySpace Music paid less than $1 million for Imeem, so it's doubtful much will remain for the artists."

Basically, then, if you're a musician who hasn't settled your account with Imeem, you're fucked.

MySpace, responding to the Wired.com editorial, defended itself in a statement, writing, "MySpace Music bought a limited set of Imeem's assets including the domain name and certain technology and trademarks. The asset sale to MySpace Music was part of a foreclosure process which resulted from the lien certain secured creditors had on all the assets of Imeem. MySpace Music did not acquire Imeem's outstanding debts, including the money Imeem owed to artists under the Snocap relationship.... MySpace Music has its own distribution platform, which includes relationships with prominent aggregators and indie labels, that provides indie artists ways to monetize their music on our site."

Well, this all speaks for itself. It's always a grand day when the big guys can use legalities and loopholes to avoid doing the ethically right thing and stomp on the little guys - in this instance, all the musicians out there reading this right now. Maybe even those same musicians who are rethinking their current and future business relationships with MySpace Music, in fact.

The entire Wired.com article is well worth reading. All together now: the chance of seeing any money now is zero.

Preorders start today, sale priced at only $179 until the end of the year.

By Blurt Staff

Looking for a Christmas gift you don't have to wrap but just can't hang with a Target gift card? Here's a good option - and hey, it comes in red and white, just like Target stuff!

Starting today, surf over to the official White Stripes website where you can pre-order The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, a limited edition box set featuring two DVDs, a live CD and a live 7", plus a hefty book. It will be available for shipping on March 16.

If the title sounds familiar, that's because it's also the name of the band's new documentary film about their 2007 tour of Canada, which premiered back in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. You can see a trailer of the film here. That will be one of the DVDs in the box, with the other one being a DVD of the band's 10^th anniversary show. Here's exactly what you'll get for your money, which at the moment will be $179 on pre-order and then when the calendar turns to 2010 it will go up to $229.

Ø      Documentary DVD

Ø      DVD of 10^th anniversary show

Ø      16-song live album on CD and 180g vinyl

Ø      Live 7" of "Icky Thump" and "The Wheels on the Bus"

Ø      208-page book w/Jim Jarmusch foreword and photos by Autumn de Wilde

Ø      Silk screen print by Rob Jones

Give it to someone you love, won't you?

 UPDATE - ADDITTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS FROM THE BAND:

All orders placed before January 1st will receive a special holiday card from the band, as well as three exclusive live mp3's of tracks from the 10th Anniversary show instantly upon ordering: "A Martyr For My Love For You," "Hotel Yorba," and "Hello Operator." Additionally, members of The Vault, Third Man Records' groundbreaking online subscription service, will also be sent a special slip mat for their orders placed before the end of the year.  

 
In celebration of the announcement of this limited edition box set, The White Stripes will be premiering footage of their song "Let's Shake Hands" on Myspace.com (myspace.com/thewhitestripes) worldwide at 9 pm PST tonight. This performance of the song was filmed at the band's 10th Anniversary show and can be seen on the second DVD, which goes under the name  Under Nova Scotian Lights.

But not exactly the way you expected, or the way Neil planned...

By Blurt Staff

The knock on the door was from the mysterious midnight courier who delivers his illicit parcels under cloak of darkness. "Pssst," he hissed. "Here's the fifth of the Missing Six, or the first of the Doom Trilogy, take your pick..."

Sure enough: Time Fades Away, the legendary 1973 live album that Neil Young notoriously disavows, calling it his worst record ever. Never officially issued on CD per Young's wishes, it's long been the object of almost fetishistic scrutiny among Young fans, and for long-suffering collectors it eventually had to go the way of the bootleggers in order for it to enter the digital era.

It's now made its second or third appearance on an underground label, and it arrives on the heels of an unusually busy year for Young, release-wise - among them, his Archives box, a box collecting his first four, classic, solo albums, and the Dreamin' Man Live '92 album (the latter reviewed here).

Will this new iteration of Time Fades Away finally prod Young into returning to the drawing board and remastering it officially for CD? Only Young knows for sure, but meanwhile, we have the story of the creation of TFA and its tangled trajectory over the years. Go here to read the story and the review of the bootleg.