Let me start off by saying that the reason for the sparse updates on the blog has been because of the limited recent releases in both film and music. So no worries for those of you thinking that the site is winding down, as that couldn't be farther from the truth. That being said, this edition of Fuzzy Bits will begin with an answer to a reader's question. Remember, you can always make comments to any post, so feel free to do so!
Fuzzy Responses
I heard a rumor that Dave is planning another " & friends" tour. You seem to have an ear to the drums - any truth? Did you hear anything about Coldplay's last stint here - I heard it was so/so. I want to get a friend a cd by them - what's the best one - any suggestions?
Havannah Moon
Thanks for the message! You ask some very good questions here, and I'll do my best to answer them all. First, with the Dave & Friends tour. There is some truth to this as they are a part of a three-day and three-night cruise tour during Feb 3-6. Along with other acts including G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, North Mississippi Allstars, Soulive, DJ Logic and Mike Doughty's Band, there will be lots of food and fun to be had as the cruise boats sail to the Bahamas. As far as definitive dates, this is all we know about right now. What can be said however, is that with Dave Matthews Band currently working in studio for their second album which should come out later on this year, I would be very surprised if there's a D&F tour this spring. Instead, there might be another short college campus Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds tour before the DMB tour kicks off this summer.
On a semi-related note, the band is currently asking Warehouse members to send in their top five choices for opening acts this summer. My personal votes (in this order) were: The Roots, My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, and finally Josh Rouse. While many are picking more traditional opening acts (Mike Doughty, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones) some are going as far as picking Pearl Jam, so if you have the ability to vote, go for it and see what happens!
Going back to your original post, let me move on to answering your questions about Coldplay. I'm not sure whether or not you were talking about the Alpine Valley concert or the concert they had at the Metro. From what I heard though, the majority of people loved their performance at Alpine Valley, and I'd have a hard time believing that they wouldn't pull out one of their better shows considering the importance and hype going into it. As far as best CD to get for someone that's just starting out, I'd have to say hands down you have to start out with A Rush of Blood to the Head or Parachutes. I think the former offers a lot more in terms of singles with such memorable tracks as "Clocks," "The Scientist," "Green Eyes," and I could really go on forever, while Parachutes was a very well thought out and complete front to back album in every sense. X&Y has a much darker tinge and isn't nearly as strong as their previous albums, and it'd be hard for me to recommend unless they're already a serious or established fan.
Smashing Pumpkins reunion rumored to be at Coachella
Well as most of you already know, at least if you follow Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins, Billy Corgan's been spending the past year and a half making amends with his bandmates after his disastrous solo release. It seems as if all of his efforts (if you want to call it that) will be paying off as the Smashing Pumpkins are rumored to make appearances at several summer festivals, most notably this April's Coachella. Personally, my dream would be for them to reunite at this summer's Lollapalooza, since it's going to be in Chicago again. What better way to start fresh than reunite in your hometown?
Flaming Lips release new single for upcoming album
Due out April 4, the much-anticipated album entitled At War with the Mystics, seems promising if the singles are any indication. The recently released single called "The Wand" is a great near-four minute experimental piece, pushing the envelope much in the same way that Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots did. The song is very sparse rhythmically, and revolves around a great guitar riff. The best thing the song has going for it is that it manages to sound familiar while strangely different and even a bit unsettling in it's delivery. The song "Mr. Ambulance Driver" as heard on both the Wedding Crashers soundtrack as well as the Flaming Lips' Greatest Hits CD/DVD VOID is also going to be featured in the upcoming album. The entire tracklisting is given below:
"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"
"Free Radicals"
"The Sound of Failure/It's Dark...Is it Always This Dark??"
"My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion"
"Vein of Stars"
"The Wizard Turns On..."
"It Overtakes Me/The Stars Are So Big, I Am So Small...Do I Stand a Chance?"
"Mr. Ambulance Driver"
"Haven't Got a Clue"
"The W.A.N.D."
"Pompeii Am Gotterdammerung"
"Goin' On"
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Fuzzy Bits: January 12, 2006
Finalists named for first ever New Pantheon Awards
Replacing what was known as the Shortlist awards, the New Pantheon Awards finalists have been named. Before listing the finalists, it should be mentioned that the New Pantheon Awards finalists, just like the Shortlist, are hand selected by a diverse group of fellow musicians (this years judges ranged from Elton John to Dave Matthews to Margaret Cho to Beck), and the only requirement outside of musical integrity is that it must've sold less than 500,000 copies. With that in mind, here are the 2006 finalists:
Extraordinary Machine Fiona Apple
Funeral Arcade Fire
Feels Animal Collective
I Am a Bird Now Antony and the Johnsons
Silent Alarm Bloc Party
Plans Death Cab for Cutie
Picaresque The Decemberists
Aha Shake Heartbreak Kings of Leon
Arular M.I.A.
Illinois Sufjan Stevens
While the Mercury Prize winning Antony and the Johnsons are probably the favorites, my personal pick would be either Bloc Party or Sufjan Stevens. The only real surprise on this list is Death Cab for Cutie's latest because, quite honestly, it was a mere shadow of all the previous releases they've had, and there are much better albums out there.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs to release new album in March
The latest release, entitled Show Your Bones will be released March 27, with their single "Golden Lion" to be released a week prior. Produced by Squeak E Clean, whom lead singer Karen O worked with on the "Hello Tomorrow" single seen in those trippy adidas commercials from not too long ago. While tour info hasn't been revealed yet, you can expect the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to be back in full force after the release of their first album since their major-label debut in 2003.
First big disappointment of 2006
I was debating whether or not to write an entire review on this album and finally decided against it. However, just a week into the new year, and the band that we once loved known as the Strokes released what could still be the biggest disappointment of 2006 when December rolls around. To say that First Impressions of Earth is awful, wouldn't really be telling the whole story, rather when looking at the potential that was there within their first two albums, it seemed as if the Strokes got tired of everyone saying that they're a rip off of (insert your favorite 60's or 70's rock band here) and decided to do something completely different. Well, they did it, and this time every song seems half-baked, lazy, and in desperate need of a do over. It's too bad really, because you can't argue that they're not individually talented musicians, but after a few listens to this, you'd never know that.
Replacing what was known as the Shortlist awards, the New Pantheon Awards finalists have been named. Before listing the finalists, it should be mentioned that the New Pantheon Awards finalists, just like the Shortlist, are hand selected by a diverse group of fellow musicians (this years judges ranged from Elton John to Dave Matthews to Margaret Cho to Beck), and the only requirement outside of musical integrity is that it must've sold less than 500,000 copies. With that in mind, here are the 2006 finalists:
Extraordinary Machine Fiona Apple
Funeral Arcade Fire
Feels Animal Collective
I Am a Bird Now Antony and the Johnsons
Silent Alarm Bloc Party
Plans Death Cab for Cutie
Picaresque The Decemberists
Aha Shake Heartbreak Kings of Leon
Arular M.I.A.
Illinois Sufjan Stevens
While the Mercury Prize winning Antony and the Johnsons are probably the favorites, my personal pick would be either Bloc Party or Sufjan Stevens. The only real surprise on this list is Death Cab for Cutie's latest because, quite honestly, it was a mere shadow of all the previous releases they've had, and there are much better albums out there.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs to release new album in March
The latest release, entitled Show Your Bones will be released March 27, with their single "Golden Lion" to be released a week prior. Produced by Squeak E Clean, whom lead singer Karen O worked with on the "Hello Tomorrow" single seen in those trippy adidas commercials from not too long ago. While tour info hasn't been revealed yet, you can expect the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to be back in full force after the release of their first album since their major-label debut in 2003.
First big disappointment of 2006
I was debating whether or not to write an entire review on this album and finally decided against it. However, just a week into the new year, and the band that we once loved known as the Strokes released what could still be the biggest disappointment of 2006 when December rolls around. To say that First Impressions of Earth is awful, wouldn't really be telling the whole story, rather when looking at the potential that was there within their first two albums, it seemed as if the Strokes got tired of everyone saying that they're a rip off of (insert your favorite 60's or 70's rock band here) and decided to do something completely different. Well, they did it, and this time every song seems half-baked, lazy, and in desperate need of a do over. It's too bad really, because you can't argue that they're not individually talented musicians, but after a few listens to this, you'd never know that.
Saturday, January 7, 2006
Good Night, and Good Luck
An absurdly beautiful film, George Clooney has truly made his directorial mark with this worthwhile masterpiece.
Starring: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella, and Jeff Daniels.
Written by: George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
Directed by: George Clooney.
While Clooney's directorial debut of Confeessions of a Dangerous Mind was unfortunately overlooked, it seems as if his latest has garnered enough critical acclaim and attention to have an outside chance of winning in the Oscars and Golden Globes. The storyline is incredibly well done in that it provides insight into the era of McCarthyism without overdoing it, or distracting the viewer from the main plot of the story for that matter. Besides the beautiful cinematography, the ultimate highlight of this film would have to be the superb acting. David Strathairn, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels and George Clooney are especially outstanding, and it was a very good call on the part of the production to use archive footage of Senator Tom McCarthy to create a much more profound dichotomy between himself and the CBS crew. What makes the film most compelling is that it is presented in such a way, and with the impeccable timing given all the Big Brother debates going on today, it makes a poignant statement of how Americans face the same challenges today as they did back in the early 50's. An engaging and rewarding film, this is a must for anyone who hasn't yet seen this provocative piece.
Rating: 95
Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.
Starring: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Frank Langella, and Jeff Daniels.
Written by: George Clooney and Grant Heslov.
Directed by: George Clooney.
While Clooney's directorial debut of Confeessions of a Dangerous Mind was unfortunately overlooked, it seems as if his latest has garnered enough critical acclaim and attention to have an outside chance of winning in the Oscars and Golden Globes. The storyline is incredibly well done in that it provides insight into the era of McCarthyism without overdoing it, or distracting the viewer from the main plot of the story for that matter. Besides the beautiful cinematography, the ultimate highlight of this film would have to be the superb acting. David Strathairn, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels and George Clooney are especially outstanding, and it was a very good call on the part of the production to use archive footage of Senator Tom McCarthy to create a much more profound dichotomy between himself and the CBS crew. What makes the film most compelling is that it is presented in such a way, and with the impeccable timing given all the Big Brother debates going on today, it makes a poignant statement of how Americans face the same challenges today as they did back in the early 50's. An engaging and rewarding film, this is a must for anyone who hasn't yet seen this provocative piece.
Rating: 95
Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.
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