Norwegian ambient rockers The 3rd & The Mortal have announced a new album called Project Bluebook for January 2005. The album will feature 3 new tracks of which one is recorded live as well as live-versions of 4 classics. The line-up is the same as on 2002-release Memoirs. In the meanwhile guitarist Trond Engum also has a project called The Soundbyte.
British radiopresenter and alternative music guru John Peel died last night. He had a heartattack while he was on holiday in Peru.
Apart from a pic of the wifey and the kid the updated Ulver-site reports of a collaboration with Sunn 0))) in commission of Swedish radio. This interesting artifact will be released in the upcoming (spring 2005) 4LP White-box. In further news a Kiss cover for a tribute (featuring Turbonegro and Gluecifer amongst others) is mentioned as well as the upcoming album which still is dubbed Blood Inside.
The always interesting Deerhoof have made a collection of live songs available for download from their website check them out if you dare !
Ipecac reports : We are very sorry to say, but due to an illness in the band the Melvins have cancelled all of their scheduled dates for the rest of the year. We are hoping that the shows will be able to be rescheduled in the future and the band sincerely apologizes for any incvonvenience caused by this unforseen circumstance. Knowing the Melvins like we do, we have no doubt that they will return stronger than ever. Thanks for your support and understanding.
Now that Shawn Lane has swapped the finite for the infinite his 'partners in improvisatory crime' Jonas Hellborg and Jeff "Apt. 258" Sipe have replaced him with a bassoon(!)-player named Paul Hansson.
Cadaver have split up. Neddo didn't feel like finding new members and called it quits for the second time. Was it the review in The Wire this month? ;)
A "teaser" medley MP3 of four songs from the upcoming Nightingale album, Invisible, has been posted online at this location. In a recent online posting, Nightingale's Dan Swanö (Bloodbath, Edge Of Sanity, Ribspreader, Odyssey, Pan-Thy-Monium) commented: "The material is extremely varied everything from metal to the fusion/grunge (!!!) of Worlds Apart. My fave this far is the doom-laden Stalingrad which can take the happiness out of any living creature... There's something for every taste and since my music taste is the weirdest ever, I love them all!!" Invisible is scheduled for release on October 25 through Black Mark Records.
Ipecac reports: The news is out! The anticipated collaboration between the pride of Norway, Kaada and Mike Patton is done and slated for release in late November. The record, Romances is a beautiful piece of music. Sure to put you in the mood for love. Seems like some of you could use that mood adjustment. Preview this release overhere.
Although ex-Napalm Death and ex-Painkiller drummer Mick Harris seems to be focusing on his fishing career lately, Polish label Vivo released a new Scorn album. It's called List Of Takers and it's a set Mick did for a radio-show. The Quoit-set from the same session will remain unreleased for now.
Snapper music is going to release a compilation of old school black metal, the stuff that sparked the flame, compiled by Fenriz of Darkthrone. No big surprises here (Bathory, Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Venom, Sodom) but also more obscure bands like Blasphemy, Tormentor and Sarcofago and newer names like Nattefrost and Aura Noir. The release is slated for September 20th.
Saxophone wizard Skerik (Critter's Buggin', Frog Brigade a.o.) has formed a group with drummer Calvin Weston (Big Tree, Dying Ground a.o.) and guitarist/percussionist Shahzad Ismaily (Badawi, Burnt Sugar, Secret Chiefs 3 a.o.). A record produced by Randall Dunn is due in October this year.
Skiz Fernando has to decided to go out on a high and put his label Wordsound to an end. The label has been releasing many illbient, dub and hiphop records by Sensational, The Bug (a.k.a. Kevin Martin of God), Scotty Hard (producer of Medeski, Martin & Wood and New Kingdom), Metabolics, ultra-heavy dub by all-star outfit Dubadelic and his own under assorted banners like Spectre en Slotek. The upcoming 10th Anniversary DVD will be the 50th and final release.
David Vincent rejoined Morbid Angel who said goodbye to Steve Tucker once again. If the return is permanent is not clear yet, for now 'Evil D' (as he liked to call himself in Genitortures, the band he's been in since his departure) will perform a few gigs with the band in South America.
Rick James passed away August 6th. After big hitsuccess in the eighties the nineties were less glorious. The Superfreak biggest 'hit' in the years 2k was the 'encounter' with Charlie Murphy in Chappelle's Show. He was Rick James, bitch!
Screaming Headless Torsos welcome drummer Nikki Glaspie (yup, that's a girl) to replace Gene Lake. August 12th they will play at SOB's in New York after which Caron Wheeler (Back To Life so it seems) will play her set. Fuze's other outfit KiF will play the 16th in Boston supporting Vernon Reid. The Torsos are finishing up their new CD and a European tour is in the making for November.
One of the biggest Hollywood composers died of cancer this wednesday: Jerry Goldsmith.
Critter's Buggin' plans to release their new album September 7th. Stampede will feature Eyvind Kang and Bachir and Mustapha Attar from Master Musicians of Jajouka. Also long-time afficienado Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) will make an appearance.
Despite some mishaps with a shoe Brian Eno and Robert Fripp recorded a new album together called The Equatorial Stars. It's about to be released and Discipline Global Mobile takes pre-orders.
Bill Laswell's Material is going to release an album called All Around The World on Belgian label Subrosa. The album features recordings done by 'ambience collector' Oz Fritz who recorded in places like the King's Room in the Pyramid of Giza, the subway of Paris, the Australian outback and The Theosophical Society World Headquarters in Madras trying to catch the moods of the architecture and surroundings. This follows the ideas of American composer John Cage about hearing music in the sounds that surround you. The album's release is planned for August 2004.
The Oslo-show in August of Supersilent will be filmed by Kim Hiorthøy for a DVD to be released next year.
Björk feels 'really lubricated' about her new album Medulla which is made with vocals exclusively. She gets help from Mike Patton, 'Godfather of Noise' Rahzel and Inuït throatsinger Tanya Tagaq.
Despite rumours of having split up, Wu-Tang Clan is booked to a couple of festivals this summer in London (UK), Kinross(UK), Naas (IRE), Werchter (B) and San Bernardino (USA). Ghostface, RZA, GZA, Method Man, Masta Killa, Dirt McGirt, U-God, Inspectah Deck and Raekwon should all be present.
Anyway, people die: Steve Lacy (69), soprano sax player and refugee (he returned to the US a couple of years ago) died of cancer in Boston last Friday. His wife Irene Aebi, who sings on some of his albums, survives him. Lacy effortlessly moved between traditional jazz forms and more avantgarde directions, witness his last release, the <trio x 3> disc on HatHut. He is also famous for his lifelong obsession with Monk.