Right in the midst of their Western European tour (itself following an extensive American trek in support of their latest album, Get Behind Me Satan), the White Stripes have announced 10 more international tour dates for early 2006. The first four shows are an oddly deliberate tour of the Zepp chain of music venues across Japan. (Is Zepp the Japanese Clear Channel?
) After that, Jack and Meg will head Down Under for the massive Big Day Out festival, which spans six days, five Australian cities, and one stop in New Zealand. The Whites will be joined on all the Big Day Out dates by Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Franz Ferdinand, Sleater-Kinney, Kings of Leon, the Mars Volta, 2 Many DJs, the Magic Numbers, Soulwax, the Living End, Gerling, and Dei Hamo, plus several local acts who will participate in only selected shows. The Greenhornes will continue their dependable Stripes opening streak until November 17.
As previously reported, Greenhornes members Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence are cohorts in the Jack White-Brendan Benson project the Raconteurs, who are scheduled to release their debut album sometime next year. 'Til then, Meg's got dibs: Sitting in a bar at three AM with other lonely souls. Taking an unfamiliar detour and winding up frighteningly lost.
Nursing heartbreak under moonlight-- Neko Case's voice was made for these scenarios. The flame-haired songstress is alt-country's dark heart, the wild woman who has seen too much and will never completely reveal herself to you. We'll get another crack at her mysteries come March 7, 2006, when Anti- will release Case's fifth solo album, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood.
Produced by Case and longtime associate Darryl Neudorf, the album features a number of her previous partners in noir-drenched crime, including fellow chanteuse Kelly Hogan, country-garage rockers the Sadies, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, and Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino. Rachel Flotard of Seattle pop-punks Visqueen, former Flat Duo Jet Dexter Romweber, and the legendary Garth Hudson of The Band also appear. Maybe they should have just gone ahead and called this album We Are the Alt-Country World.
The album apparently blends 60s pop sheen with Case's trademark lugubrious country sound. Says Case about Fox: "I recorded the album intermittently over the past couple years. With each record, you think you've figured it out, but once you get into the studio, you realize there's always more to learn.
But I feel like we managed to get all my ideas to tape." She added, "I feel really good about this album." But really, who is going to admit that they feel bad about their upcoming album?
True to her reputation as a road warrior, Case will do a full tour of America and abroad to support Fox starting early next year. Her little-known side project (ha) the New Pornographers are heading to Europe next week without Case. Sorry, guys.
But Germany does get to see the New Pornos and Maximo Park on the same bill. Dates: 11-17 New York, NY - Joe's Pub (two shows) Islands are currently working on their debut album, tentatively titled Return to the Sea and at last check, due sometime in January on Rough Trade, at least in Europe. The band haven't settled on a North American label yet.
Speaking to Can-rock web journal ChartAttack.com in late September, Diamonds dropped some hints about the upcoming album's contributors: "Everyone in the Arcade Fire, everyone in Wolf Parade, except for the drummers and Win Butler, everyone in Bell Orchestre, except for the drummer, we already have a good drummer." He added, "No one is allowed to step on J'aime's toes and Win's not allowed to step on mine.
" Yeah, that would really hurt, given how frickin' tall Win Butler is. Two Islands downloads, "Flesh" and "Abominable Snow", are still available from the blog Simple Mission , if your ears are hungry. The boys also make a pair of appearances on the forthcoming Beck remix record, as Islands and as their hip hop alter-ego, Th' Corn Gangg.
Word. Echo and the Bunnymen Plan New Single, Tour Echo and the Bunnymen, the oft-underrated granddaddies of this whole new wave revival thing, will continue their lengthy post-reunion stretch with a new single, "In the Margins", from their latest album, Siberia. In stores October 31 in the UK courtesy of Cooking Vinyl, the single is backed with an acoustic take on "Nothing Lasts Forever" and an instrumental version of "In the Margins".
The band's classic "Lips Like Sugar" will be remixed by Way Out West for Future Retro, a Rhino Records compilation of remixes of several 80s favorites. Rhino's favorites, that is. The comp will be released in January 2006.
By that time, we predict Echo and the Bunnymen will be basking in the glow of having completed their current tour, which takes them through Europe and America, from now until mid-December. (Southern California atmosphere-mongers Innaway open the American dates). 12-02 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richard * 12-06 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues * 12-07 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues * 12-09 San Diego, CA - House of Blues * Do you want new wave or do you want the truth?
Because despite much hype to the contrary, 2005 isn't just the year post-punk re-broke. It's also the year of the country revival in indie rock. First Conor Oberst got Emmylou Harris to sing on I'm Wide Awake It's Morning by tricking her (and some of the rest of us) into thinking he was Gram Parsons.
Then Will Oldham dropped some Brad Paisley during his Intonation DJ set, Ryan Adams rediscovered his twangy roots, Cat Power went down to Memphis to get her honky tonk on, and hipster hero Willie Nelson released that album with the pot leaf on the cover and appeared as Uncle Jesse (Duke, not Katsopolis) in Jessica Simpson's tasteful, understated film debut, The Dukes of Hazzard. Now, Willie's former roommate, country legend Bobby Bare, is making a comeback. The singer/songwriter/producer/businessman/Grammy Award winner will release The Moon Was Blue November 1 on Dualtone, his first full-length since his 1983 collaboration with Shel Silverstein, Drinkin' From the Bottle, Singin' From the Heart.
Produced by his son, alt-country mainstay Bobby Bare Jr., and Lambchop's Mark Nevers, The Moon Was Blue incorporates some of the alt-rock quirks the young Bare uses with his own group, Young Criminals' Starvation League. (We assure you that the YCSL is a band and not a PAC endorsing a new form of capital punishment.
) The result is, according to Bare's website, "a progressive country album, rooted in a 70s retro tradition." Does that mean it's going to sound like the new My Morning Jacket album? Bobby Jr.
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