Band's hits recast for choir arrives Nov. 10 followed by a tour.

By Blurt Staff

As you've no doubt heard, some time agao Kinks frontman Ray Davies  adapted songs from his extensive back catalog for choir, re-recording key tunes with brand new choral arrangements. The collaboration with the the 65-strong Crouch End Festival Chorus at the 2007 BBC Electric Proms in London has now yielded The Kinks Choral Collection, due November 10th on Decca. A nationwide tour is scheduled to coincide with the release. (U.S. dates below.)

Produced by Davies himself and with arrangements by David Temple, Steve Markwick and Davies, this union casts a fresh light upon Kinks klasssics via new versions of "You Really Got Me", "All Day And All Of The Night", "Waterloo Sunset" and many more.
Davies said of his Crouch End vocal colleagues; "With a song like 'Waterloo Sunset', I feel as if the people I wrote it for are singing it". He added that they display "an ingenious palette of choral techniques" - for example, "See My Friends' recast as an a cappella gospel hymn to illuminate life-after-death lyrics.

There's also a six-song suite from the 1968 album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society. Although not as well known as some of the bigger hits, this collection is now widely regarded as The Kinks' masterpiece, with songs like "Do You Remember Walter?" which is a poignant memoir of a vanished childhood world.

Already got the Kinks katalogue? Decca predicts the album "offers so much to explore and admire from fans who own it all, or to complete newcomers... a great introduction to Davies' idiosyncratic, delightful world."

Well, all right then. Let's hear it for delightful worlds!

Tour Dates:

Thursday, 11/12  San Fran, CA            Warfield Theatre with The Vox Society Choir

Saturday, 11/14   Los Angeles, CA      Orpheum Theatre with The Vox Society Choir

Tuesday, 11/17    Boston, MA             The Berklee Theatre

Thursday, 11/19   New York, NY        Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir

Friday, 11/20        New York, NY       Town Hall with The Dessoff Chamber Choir

Saturday, 11/21    Philadelphia, PA       Tower Theatre

Monday, 11/23    Albany, NY             The Egg

Tuesday, 11/24    Montclair , NJ          The Wellmont Theatre

Billed as "turning up in some seriously cool - and unexpected - places this fall.

By Blurt Staff

With apologies to "Where's Waldo?" - where's Neko?

Last week she was in NYC to tape a performance for the next season of the Sundance Channel's Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... and a duet with Meatwad (say WHAT?!?) rom Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

In a couple of weeks she'll be turning up on A Prairie Home Companion on October 10, and then she returns to NYC for a conversation with the New Yorker's pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones as part of The New Yorker Festival on October 17.

Finally, on November 16, Neko headlines NYC's Beacon Theater - her fall tour starts Nov. 11 in Memphis; dates below - followed in December by a stint in the Guest Programmer's chair on the Turner Classic Movies channel.

Busy gal. Those rumors about her being appointed ambassador to France, however, appear to be just that - rumors. She's got too much on her plate to worry about government silliness...

Tour Dates:

11/4 - Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN
11/5 - The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
11/6 - Canopy Club, Urbana, IL
11/7 - The Clazel Theater, Bowling Green, OH
11/8 - Harro East Ballroom, Rochester, NY
11/10 - Wilbur Theater, Boston, MA
11/11 - The Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
11/12 - The Music Hall, Portsmouth, NH
11/13 - Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA
11/14 - Lupo's, Providence, RI
11/15 - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
11/16 - Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
11/18 - Knight Theater, Charlotte, NC
11/19 - The Plaza Theatre, Orlando, FL
11/20 - The Moon, Tallahassee, FL
11/21 - The Republic, New Orleans, LA
11/22 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
11/23 - Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

Does two quickie gigs starting this weekend in LA, in fact.

By Blurt Staff

Thom Yorke announced last night on the Radiohead site that he has assembled a band to play a pair of shows October 4 and 5 at Los Angeles' Orpheum Theater. Thom, Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco, Flea and Nigel Godrich will play material from his 2006 album The Eraser as well as new songs.

***

From Yorke:


hi
in the past couple of weeks i've been getting a band together for fun to play the eraser stuff live and the new songs etc.. to see if it could work! here's a photo.. its me, joey waronker, mauro refosco, flea and nigel godrich.

at the beginning of october the 4th and 5th we are going to do a couple of shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. we don't really have a name and the set will not be very long cuz ..well ...we haven't got that much material yet! but come and check it out if you are in the area. we've also got locals Lucky Dragons playing.
all the best

click here to get to get tickets>

10/04

10/05

***

"Radiohead is not breaking up" - Yorke's handlers hasten to point this out, incidentally. As previously reported, Yorke released the FeelingPulledApartbyHorses/The Hollow Earth 12-inch on September 21. The single will be released digitally October 6. Both tracks were produced by Nigel Godrich and mastered by Bob Ludwig. 

Ah, but can anyone every truly "know" an enigma wrapped up in a paradox wrapped up in a dirty, blood-encrusted sock?

By Blurt Staff

Ya just can't keep a good stiff down, especially when it's a punk icon like Sid Vicious. Ergo, Odeon/MVD Visual's upcoming DVD Sid! By Those Who Really Knew Him. Due Nov. 17, it's billed as "the first intimate full-length 80 minute documentary on Sid's life."

It marks 30 years since Vicious' death from a heroin overdose (he was just 21 years old), and for the documentary many of those closest to him speak for what's reportedly "the very first time" about the Sex Pistol who wasn't willing to burn out and fade away quietly. He simply went up in flames...

According to MVD;

 
 This brand new documentary, in association with ITN Archive, charts the fall and rise of Sid Vicious from punk's hero to society's cultural icon of the twentieth century.

 
Sid's short and controversial life is profiled with interviews from Jah Wobble (childhood friend, founder PIL), Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees), David Vanian (The Damned), Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols Manager), Viv Albertine (Flatmate, The Slits), Ron Watts (100 Club), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Rat Scabies (The Damned), Caroline Coon (Writer and Artist), Vivienne Westwood (Sex Designer), Marco Pirroni (Adam & The Ants), John Tiberi (Sex Pistols Tour Manager), and many more of Sid's close friends.

Featuring previously unseen archive footage and filmed in HD, this new documentary provides the most definitive and intimate life story of the punk hero who truly lived his life with chaos and anarchy. Fuelled with a soundtrack of Sid's own music, this is the faithful telling of Sid's life story by those who really knew him.

 
In addition to the DVD documentary, this special collector's edition includes a 10 track CD of Sid live in New York's, and a biography booklet profile by best-selling music author Mark Paytress.

Er, there does appear to be at least one person missing from that roll call of true friends, but nevermind those rotten bollocks.

Check out the trailer to the film, below.

Ultra-cool Some Days are Better than Others trailer is ready for viewing!

By Blurt staff

Portland filmmaker Matt McCormick has launched the trailer for Some Days are Better than Others, his debut feature film. You can view it at the film's website, www.somedaysthemovie.com or below.

(Carrie Brownstein as Katrina)

Shot primarily in Portland and the surrounding areas, Some Days are Better than Others is a poetic, character-driven independent feature film starring James Mercer, Carrie Brownstein, Renee Roman Nose, and David Wodehouse. A charmingly melancholy look at abandonment, Some Days are Better Than Others asks the question, "Why do the good times slip by so fast while the sad times seem so sticky?" The film thematically explores heartbreak, abandonment, and alternative forms of communication while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters who seem to get kicked down by life time and time again. Above all else, Some Days are Better Than Others is a quirky black comedy about the disposable relics of our always-consuming society. It's a film about growing up, growing old, and holding on to hope while looking for second chances.

(James Mercer as Eli)

More news regarding the film's release will be announced soon.

BLURT-approved blooze-punk miscreants serve up a heapin' helpin' o' fun.

By Blurt Staff

Coming to a BLURT review near you: Fort Wayne, Indiana's Left Lane Cruiser, whose new album is All You Can Eat Alive Records. The two-man band features Freddie J Evans IV (aka Joe) on slide guitar and vocals, and Brenn Beck (aka Sausage Paw) on big-ass bass drum, harmonica and a toolbox full of percussive gear. Evans provides the firey fingerpicking and husky vocals. For Beck, everything is an instrument: trash cans, washboards, paint trays, hubcaps, ladders, you name it.

Learning their craft by playing at house parties, at the corner streets of their home town, and rehearsing in a heatless garage, they have developed their personal take on the North Mississippi Hill Country sound. They have toured relentlessly, sharing the stage with artists such as Black Diamond Heavies, T-Model Ford, and Bob Log III. They have also appeared at the infamous Deep Blues festival in River Falls Wisconsin in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

All You Can Eat is the latest release from the super blues duo. It showcases the band's high-voltage punk blues style they're known for and it is everything fans of their Alive debut expects and a lot more. A follow up to their acclaimed 2008 release "Bring 'Yo Ass To the Table," this new album was recorded in Detroit at the infamous Ghetto Recorders, and produced by legendary Jim Diamond.

Watch for the review very soon. The band is hitting the road in October too, so you have been warned:

US Tour Dates

Oct 5 @ The Northside Tavern - Cincinnati, OH
Oct 6 @ The Green Lantern - Lexington, KY
Oct 7 @ Hal and Al's - Columbus, OH
Oct 8 @ The V Club - Huntington, WV
Oct 9 @ The Garage - Winston Salem, NC
Oct 10 @ The Bohemian - Greenville, SC w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Oct 12 @ The End - Nashville, TN
Oct 13 @ JJ's Bohemia - Chattanooga, TN
Oct 14 @ The Hideaway - Johnson City, TN
Oct 15 @ Visulite Theater - Charlotte, NC
Oct 16 @ The Star Bar - Atlanta, GA
Oct 17 @ Knoxville, TN

European Tour Dates

Oct 30 @ La Boule Noire - Paris, France
Oct 31 @ La Peniche - Chalon s/Saone, France
Nov 1 @ Le Galion - Lorient, France
Nov 4 @ Peniche Sonic - Lyon, France
Nov 5 @ Queen Kong Club - Neuhatel, Switzerland
Nov 6 @ Caves Du Manoir - Martigny, Switzerland
Nov 7 @ Le Transformateur - Fribourg, Switzerland
Nov 8 @ El Lokal - Zurich, Switzerland
Nov 9 @ My Way - Freibourg, Germany
Nov 11 @ Cortinan Bob - Berlin, Germany
Nov 12 @ The Paradison - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nov 13 TBA - Stockholm, Sweden
Nov 15 @ Popdium - Sneek, The Netherlands
Nov 16 @ Little Devil - Tilburg, The Netherlands
Nov 18 @ Club Keller - Frankfurt, Germany
Nov 19 @ DB's - Utrecht, The Netherlands
Nov 20 @ Grand Wazoo - Amiens, France
Nov 21 @ L'Appel D'air - St Brieuc, France
Nov 22 @ Le Chalan - Binik, France
Nov 24 @ St Eupery - Bordeaux, France
Nov 25 @ Sant Des Seins - Toulouse, France
Nov 26 @ Cafe De Paris - Perpignan, France
Nov 27 @ Barakason - Nants, France w/ Black Diamond Heavies
Nov 28 @ Festival Blues Hauts De Seine - Mantes La Jolie, France w/ Black Diamond Heavies

Most creative use of the "F" word all week, yo.

By Fred Mills

The much-anticipated "Neurotics Of Rock" tour abruptly crumbled this weekend when representatives from proposed co-headliners the Black Lips and Wavves had what some observers are describing as "a falling out."

As reported by both Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan, the Black Lips' Jared Swilley and Wavves' Nathan Williams got into a fight during the wee hours of the morning at Brooklyn bar Daddy's (Wavves had performed Friday night at the Market Hotel, while the Lips had played at Roseland Ballroom).

You can read the accounts yourselves, but we have in this corner, one person reporting that he observed "people dragging Nathan and Jared apart, and then Jared and a popular DJ running at Nathan again" - this presumably stemming from some internet shit-talking that went on between the two a few months ago.

Then in the other corner, Williams is saying that it was unfortunate that matters escalated but he [Swilley] got what was coming to him".

And in yet another corner, Swilley comments that he didn't attack Williams at all; instead, he was the one assaulted by the Wavves tour managers and others. Said Swilley, "What happened was, after we finished our set I went to Daddy's with some friends and saw that faggot from Wavves talking to a photographer friend of mine. The only thing I did was walk up to him and say "You're that faggot from Wavves and I don't like you". He smiled a bit but didn't say anything. After that, I went outside and saw their tour manager hanging around with some guys. They started getting all chuckles with me and so I told them I wasn't gonna have it. After that, Wavves tour manager hit me square in the face with a bottle. Blood started pouring out and six dudes fucking started kicking me until I blacked out."

Who's right? Who's wrong? Who's a faggot? Who's not? Who cares! Sob! Where's Rodney King when we need him? Can't we all just get along?

Proof that indie rock has its idiots and assholes just like every other genre.

Fuck all that, let's go watch some TV:

Letters from the mailbag reveal that the controversy surrounding SoundExchange is an ongoing one.

By Fred Mills

Last week when we published our editorial on SoundExchange and the RIAA-funded organization's efforts (or "lack thereof," as one of our readers put it) to distribute royalties to artists ("Digital Dollars Due"), we didn't know we were poking a hornets' nest - or, more accurately, giving a nest that had already been poked numerous times an additional shaking.

First came SoundExchange Executive Director John L. Simson's reply/rebuttal to the original editorial along with some additional comments on our part in which we suggested a few means by which SE could more efficiently do its job.

Then the emails started coming in from readers, all of whom hold opinions (strong, it seems). Some folks didn't want to be identified if we reported further on the matter but encouraged us to include the info they provided, while others - noted rock critic Dave Marsh in particular - indicated we could treat his email as a letter to the editor. I've posted Marsh's letter in full below, along with excerpts from others.

One common theme running through the correspondence is that whenever this matter surfaces in the media, SoundExchange (usually through Simson) restates the same arguments and the same defenses, but that one central fact remains: SE doesn't do the job it's being funded to do, doesn't live up to its own mandate.

So I encourage everyone  to research this on their own and educate yourselves on a hugely important issue. Then if you're not satisfied with the situation raise a stink - or at least let your concerns be known, in the interests of getting some of these artists paid and paid on a timely basis. (Like, NOW, rather than later.) Because all controversy and finger pointing aside, that's the bottom line.

***

From Dave Marsh:

I really admire what you wrote in response to John Simson's misleading statements in defense of Sound Exchange's incompetent malfeasance as representative of artists due digital royalties, as well as appreciating the Rev. Keith Gordon article that incited those statements.

There was one flaw, which is the idea that Sound Exchange's efforts to find artists ought to be done by volunteers and interns. In fact,  using interns and entry level employees is probably most of the problem with what scant effort SE does make. The idea that people should volunteer to do one of the only two important tasks SoundExchange has is preposterous, even though it's also true that a large percentage of the "obscure" artists identified and signed up over the past few years are entirely due to volunteer effort. John Simson is paid a six figure salary, which entirely comes out of creators and copyright-owners pockets and if he won't go out and find every last one, the very damned least he can do is pay someone a living wage for tackling the task. Although he likes to make it sound that way, this is not an incidental part of the business he's in. It's one of its foundations.

As far as I can see, almost everything that needs to be done after SE has the names (sign-up is so much bullshit, it certainly does NOT "need" doing at all-they need name, address and a fair amount of confidence that the Bootsy Collins they're in touch with is not the imposter) can be done by machines, with minimal oversight at this point. I mean, what the hell does John Simson do if he's not up on the Hill lobbying for more control, more money, et cetera? Why should there be more than him and a lawyer and a couple people to answer the phones, in case it turns out that Lloyd Price's actual existence is not just a rumor?  Unless they're trying to service their clientele, which starts with knowing who that clientele is. If Sound Exchange is paying anyone for anything, this work ought to be their highest priority.

And if it's not their highest priority, then everything else Sound Exchange claims to be true ought to be called into question until the company's priorities change.

Dave Marsh

***

From name/address withheld:

You can see the obvious problem here when $100+ /million/ is going "unfound" and SE gets to absorb the missing monies -- and then blow that cash on lobbying via MusicFIRST and whatever other front group they're backing lately. Actions speak louder than words here.

This link may interest you: http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15761 [Ed. note: links to "Project Unfound Artist" by Jon Newton, of P2PNet, who writes about entertainment lawyer Fred Wilhelms' efforts at chronicling the "efforts" of SoundExchange.]

This other link also may interest you even more: http://www.p2pnet.net/story/18864 [Ed. note: links to "$101 Million ‘stuck to SoundExchange's fingers'" by Fred Wilhelms, who examines the finances of SoundExchange.]

If you or your magazine follow up with Mr. Simpson @ SoundExchange, the latter link may certainly be of more interest than the former, and worthy of more attention

***

From Fred Wilhelms:

I have been forwarded Rev. Keith Gordon's original note and your exchange with John Simson in response.  As someone who has been hearing the exact same answers from Simson for four years, it is a shame to know he still thinks he can get away with that stuff. 

 If you feel like taking up his invitation to talk, you might want to focus on actual numbers.

Here are the numbers he cannot dispute:

Since July, 2008, when the last grassroots campaign to locate artists ended, SoundExchange, left to its own devices, has removed FIVE artists from the list of over 7,500.  That's all.

In June, 2008, in a speech at Harvard Law School, John Simson admitted that SoundExchange had received royalties for over 40,000 artists who had not registered.  At that time, SoundExchange was claiming to represent 32,000 artists, so they had failed to register over half the artists they were supposed to be serving, even after six years.

According to their own filings with the Copyright Royalty Board, as of March, 2009, SoundExchange still hadn't distributed one-third of the artist royalties for the year of 2006 because the artists were not registered.  Those unpaid royalties rise to over half for the first quarter of 2008. 

According to the reports filed with the IRS, at the end of 2007, SoundExchange had accumulated over $101 MILLION dollars in undistributed royalties.  I have information that leads me to believe the current balance in that account has risen to over $180 MILLION since that report.

The problem with these numbers is if you mention them to Simson, he will ignore them, and you.... [To summarize], if you do take up Simson on his offer for more discussion, have him explain these numbers:

Five.  The number of artists taken off that published list on their website since July, 2008.

32,000.  The number of artists John Simson said were registered at SoundExchange in June 2008 in a speech at Harvard.

40,000.  The number of unregistered artists Simson admitted to in the same speech.

One-third.  The fraction of artist royalties collected for the year 2006 that were still undistributed in March, 2009, according to documents SoundExchange filed at the Copyright Royalty Board.

One-half.  The fraction of undistributed artist royalties for the first quarter of 2008 as of March, 2009 from the same filings.

$101,000,000.  The total amount or undistributed artist royalties that SoundExchange was holding as of the end of 2007 (according to their IRS filings.)  I am told that Simson has recently stated the current amount is over $180,000,000.

Substantiation for these numbers can be found in various pieces I have posted at p2pnet.net.  Just go there and search SoundExchange. 

Thanks for picking up the good fight.

Fred Wilhelms

Reports of the venerable archival label's immediate demise seem somewhat exaggerated, but there have been massive layoffs.

By Fred Mills

Bloggers and music forums erupted late yesterday with rumors of the shuttering of Rhino Records. One sample posting:

"I have it on good authority that Rhino as we know it does not exist anymore as of 5:00 PM PST. Fifty or more employees have been eliminated suddenly, including almost all the marketing, editorial and art departments. This is absolutely devastating news. I am shocked and saddened, as I'm sure you all are, too. Any music lover will feel this way. I feel so badly for the people who have so lovingly curated music history, presenting us with exceptional releases over the years."

While the sentiments are absolutely right on - I've had nothing but the utmost respect for Rhino and Rhino Handmade over the years, and feel privileged to have reviewed many of their titles, including some of the most elaborately designed box sets (collector catnip at that) on the planet - the specifics seems a bit premature.

Variety indicates that yesterday afternoon Warner Music Group laid off "between 30 and 40 staffers" with cuts made across-the-board "in all departments, including A&R, marketing, promotion and publicity." The magazine quoted from a statement issued by Rhino that "cited a ‘fundamental transformation of the physical new release and catalog business" as a reason for the cuts. Rhino will evolve into an entity that ‘handles WMG's global digital catalog initiatives, film, TV, vidgame and commercial licensing, and name and likeness representation for legendary artists.'"

Variety added that Rhino's core market for "high ticket items" such as boxed sets, had declined steeply alongside the general decline of physical product in general.

So clearly, change is afoot at Rhino. Does this mean those fantastic boxes and in-depth retrospectives are a thing of the past? It's too early to say, and judging by the vague wording of the Rhino statement, it appears the label is entering a transitional phase that we can only sit back for and see what happens.

All that aside: just recently Rhino issued massive, comprehensive boxes on Big Star and Los Angeles Nuggets (both reviewed in the new, Winter 2009, issue of BLURT, by the way) - but if the label is to go the way of the dinosaurs, let it be in such fine style as these.

Rhino Records, I salute ya.

ID all the cartoon characters in the tour poster and win a glorious prize package, including a portrait of yourself painted by Dan Deacon.

By Blurt Staff

Dan Deacon is heading back out on tour next week with his pals Nuclear Power Pants - they're traveling once again in his veggie oil bus (they'll need veggie oil this time too, same offer stands from the last tour if you're able to help provide them with veggie oil along the way). Complete, final and updated tour dates are listed below. 

To celebrate this tour, Post Typography designed a new poster l- be the first one to ID all of the 243 cartoon characters portrayed within it, pictured above, and you'll nab a fabulous prize. You can download the relevant materials (reproduced below) at Deacon's website here: www.dandeacon.com/contest/contest.html . Then you can email your submission to: postercontest@whamcity.com

 
THE PRIZE:

1. $500 cash
2. A Portrait of you painted by Dan Deacon
3. One of the last copies of Wham City Box set #1
4. A Copy of each of Dan Deacon's first 8 impossible-to-find releases (silly hat vs egale hat, meetle mice, goose on the loose, a green cobra is awesome vs the sun, porky pig, twacky cats, live 2003, acorn master)

Tour Dates:

10-01 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle *
10-02 Atlanta, GA - Eyedrum *
10-03 Athens, GA - 40 Watt *
10-04 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
10-05 Nashville, TN - The End *
10-06 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone Café *
10-07 New Orleans, LA - Big Top *
10-09 Austin, TX - Emo's Alternative Lounge Outside *
10-10 Marfa, TX - The Shade Structure*
10-14 Irvine, CA - Pacific Ballrom (UC Irvine) *
10-15 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
10-16 Los Angeles, CA - Eagle Rock Center for the Arts *
10-17 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
10-19 Sacramento, CA - Fungarden *
10-21 Eugene, OR - Agate Hall (University of Oregon) *
10-22 Portland, OR - Worksound *
10-23 Portland, OR - Holocene *
10-24 Seattle, WA - Vera Project *
10-27 Denver, CO - Rhinoceropolis *
10-29 Northfield, MN The Cave (Carleton College) *
10-30 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium *
11-01 Gambier, OH - The Horn Gallery *
11-03 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dees *
11-04 Toronto, Ontario - Great Hall *
11-05 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore *
11-06 Montreal, Quebec - Eastern Bloc *
11-07 Middlebury, VT - Middlebury College *
11-08 Boston, MA - Pozen Center (Mass. College of Art) *
11-09 Pawtucket, RI - Machines *
11-10 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street Nightclub *
11-13 Troy, NY - Experimental Media & Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute *
11-14 Worcester, MA - The Grind (Clark University) *
11-15 Ithaca, NY - Emerson Suites (Ithaca College) *

* with Nuclear Power Pants