Blonde Redhead

New Releases: Bright Eyes, Hellyeah, From Autumn To Ashes & More

10 Apr 2007 06:03:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Blonde Redhead, Army of Me, Panthers, Guster, CocoRosie, 'Aqua Teen' soundtrack.
By Kurt Orzeck

Indie-rock fans are scratching their heads as they watch bands like Modest Mouse and the Shins outsell artists like Joss Stone and Marques Houston. But while that seems to be a recent trend, a quick peek back to early 2005 calls to mind Bright Eyes selling 100,000-plus combined copies of their simultaneously released I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn the first week the albums hit stores.

Modest Mouse earned their #1 by selling just 129,000 copies of We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank a couple of weeks ago ... could Bright Eyes be next with Cassadaga? Yes, if 27-year-old ringleader Conor Oberst; mainstays Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott; and visitors M. Ward, Gillian Welch, Tortoise's John McEntire and ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss have anything to say about it.

Oberst touches on Hurricane Katrina, climate change and other topics over the course of the 13 tracks, which include "No One Would Riot for Less," "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)" and "Coat Check Dream Song." But fans will be even more excited to know that the limited-edition import digipak, while pricey, comes with a set of decoder glasses that illuminate the album cover.

Bright Eyes' identity has historically been a source of confusion, especially in the band's infancy. Oberst has been the only consistent member of the project, which has also embraced various members of BE's label, Saddle Creek. So why not just call it "Conor Oberst & the Blazing Saddles" or something along those lines?

In the spirit of confused identity, here are three brand-new bands whose members are better known than the acts themselves:

Hellyeah: That's what Pantera fans will be yelling this week as Vinnie Paul Abbott gets behind the drums again, joining Chad Gray and Gregg Tribbett of Mudvayne, and Nothingface's Jerry Montano and Tom Maxwell. Perhaps invoking Black Sabbath, whose self-titled debut led off with the song of the same name, Hellyeah's eponymous release also opens with a track called "Hellyeah." The band, which will be part of this year's Family Values Tour, also chips in "Rotten to the Core," "Alcohaulin' Ass" and "Nausea."

Grinderman: Devout fans of disbanded Australian post-punks Birthday Party will be happy to know that frontman Nick Cave is taking a break from tickling the ivories — which he's done for the past few years as a solo performer — and reverting to his raucous ways with this new ensemble. Featuring Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos (who perform with Cave as the Bad Seeds) the band melds no-wave, avant-garde and metal — while somehow retaining Ellis' viola and violin. Look for "Electric Alice," "Love Bomb" and "Depth Charge Ethel."

Terrible Twos: Break out the sippy-cups — Matthew Pryor, formerly of indie faves the Get Up Kids and a current member of the New Amsterdams, has come up with probably the most unlikely project of the bunch. His side band's If You Ever See an Owl ... consists of 15 children's songs — and if you don't believe us, look no further than "We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs," "When I Get to Eleven" and "Pizza & Chocolate Milk." The album is the first release from Vagrant's Poquito imprint.

There a few more rocks you'll want to overturn this week — here's what's beneath them:

· Yellowcard guitarist Ryan Mendez, Bayside singer/guitarist Anthony Raneri and ex-Stryder singer John Johansen lend support to Pennsylvania pop-punks Punchline on their new one, 37 Everywhere.

· Tom Waits, Mike Watt, David Thomas and other icons give New York's Book of Knots a boost on Traineater, a gloomy reflection on U.S. cities.

· Sufjan Stevens crops up on "Danielson: A Family Movie," a documentary that revolves around far-out indie gospel act Danielson Famile.

· Mastodon, Motörhead, Killer Mike, the Hold Steady and a slew of other acts you wouldn't expect to see on the same CD — not to mention affiliated with an animated program — are featured on Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Colon the Soundtrack.

· Devendra Banhart, Oxbow, Her Space Holiday and Kid 606 cover songs by some of indie-rock's most treasured — and most damaged — art-rockers on Xiu Xiu - Remixed & Covered. The two-disc set closes with a monumental remix — the final track features To Live and Shave in L.A. reworking Xiu Xiu's The Air Force in its entirety.

· Nick Drake gets the covers treatment courtesy pianist Christopher O'Riley on his Second Grace, the Music of Nick Drake.

· Charlotte Martin and BT are featured on Elements of Life, the third studio album by renowned DJ Tiësto.

· Onetime Dismemberment Plan members Jason Caddell and Eric Axelson help Washington, D.C., indie-chamber-pop act Gena Rowlands Band with their Flesh and Spirits.

· Joan of Arc's Tim Kinsella, Town and Country's Ben Vida and others aid Ministry collaborator Chris Connelly on his latest solo disc, The Episodes.

Song Title of the Week:

"Horny in a Hearse" from Nekromantix's Life Is a Grave & I Dig It!

Other Notables:

From Autumn to Ashes' Holding a Wolf by the Ears: Punk bands with dueling singers continue to be all the rage, but what happens when one of them splits? In the case of this band from Long Island, New York, it meant drummer Francis Mark having to say goodbye to the drum set. FATA's fourth album is their first after Mark took command as the group's new frontman following the departure of Ben Perri. Songs include "Deth Kult Social Club," "Sensory Deprivation Adventure" and "A Goat in Sheep's Rosary."

Blonde Redhead's 23: The Italian/Japanese trio enlisted a few big names — including Alan Moulder (U2, Nine Inch Nails) and Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Daniel Powter) — to help record and mix their seventh studio LP. The band is also encouraging fans to remix one of the album's tracks, "Signs Along the Path" — the alternate versions are being posted at BlondeRedhead23.com/remix.php.

Lou Rhodes' Beloved One: The first solo outing by the former Lamb trip-hopper earned her a nomination for the U.K.'s Mercury Prize last year. Now the singer/songwriter's set — much more delicate than her previous works — is hitting the States. Beloved One captures Rhodes' sentiments after she broke up with the father of her two children, moved out of her London house and moved into a van with her kids.

New Releases:

· Army of Me - Citizen (Doghouse) [Buy]
· Bang! Bang! - The Dirt That Makes You Drown (Morphius)
· The Bastard Fairies - Memento Mori (Adrenaline)
· Alvin Batiste - Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste (Marsalis/Rounder)
· Bleed the Dream - Killer Inside (enhanced; Warcon)
· Bless the Fall - His Last Walk (enhanced; Record Collection)
· Blonde Redhead - 23 (4AD)
· The Book of Knots - Traineater (Anti-)
· Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) [Buy]
Read: "Bright Eyes Slim Down With Single LP, Fatten Up With Loads Of Collabos"
· Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth (Rhymesayers)
· Chayanne - Mi Tiempo (Sony International)
· Chingon - Mexican Spaghetti Western (Adrenaline)
· Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8 (Rebel Group)
· CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn (Touch and Go)
· Chris Connelly - The Episodes (Jnana)
· Dubfire - GU31: Taipei (Global Underground)
· Bob French - Marsalis Music Honors Bob French (Marsalis/Rounder)
· From Autumn to Ashes - Holding a Wolf by the Ears (Vagrant) [Buy]
· Gena Rowlands Band - Flesh and Spirits (enhanced; Lujo)
· The Graduate - Anhedonia (Icon)
· Grinderman - Grinderman (Anti-)
· Guster - Satellite (EP; Reprise) [Buy]
· Hellyeah - Hellyeah (Epic)
Read: "Vinnie Paul Returns To Make 'Hellacious' Magic With Hellyeah"
· Jana Hunter - There's No Home (Gnomonsong)· Hutchy - My Time (Ruff Cut)
· Ijahlar - Life (Fire House)
· Bob James - Angels of Shanghai (Koch)

Related Artists

Bright Eyes

From Autumn To Ashes

Blonde Redhead

Army of Me

The Panthers

Blonde Redhead In, Grandaddy Out For Noise Pop SF

07 Feb 2001 14:13:00 EST

After band cancels due to frontman's injury, trio joins Superchunk, Creeper Lagoon for festival kicking off February 27.
By David Basham

Art-rock trio Blonde Redhead will replace Grandaddy at the 2001 Noise Pop San Francisco music fest, as the latter band has withdrawn because of frontman Jason Lytle's recurring knee problem, according to the event's publicist.
Blonde Redhead will now join Superchunk, Jimmy Eat World, Creeper Lagoon, Girls Against Boys, Mark Eitzel, the Minus 5 and Damien Jurado for Noise Pop SF, which will feature more than 60 acts performing at six Frisco clubs between February 27 and March 4.
Other artists confirmed for Noise Pop include Beulah, Spoon, Zen Guerrilla, Pedro the Lion, Alien Crime Syndicate, Holly Golightly, Jet Black Crayon and the Preston School of Industry, which features ex-Pavement guitarist Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg.
As for Grandaddy, the Modesto, California, band wrapped up its U.K. tour in London on Wednesday (February 7), after which Lytle plans to take the next two months off to rest his ailing knee, according to a publicist for Noise Pop.
During the break, Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild and drummer Aaron Burtch will join Giant Sand for that group's European tour with PJ Harvey, an outing that is slated for February 25 through March 14 and overlaps the dates for Noise Pop SF.
Despite Grandaddy's absence, several of this year's Noise Pop bands are gearing up for their first opportunity to play the indie-rock festival.
"It's gonna be wild," Spoon frontman Britt Daniel said of the annual fest, first held in 1993. "I love how at the Noise Pop festival, unlike some other music festivals, they actually pay the bands." One of the busiest performers at Noise Pop SF will be Scott McCaughey, who will pull double duty on March 3 to play separate sets with both his primary group, the Young Fresh Fellows, as well as his side project, the Minus 5, which features R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.
"This will be the first Noise Pop appearance for the Young Fresh Fellows," McCaughey said, "though we've been asked a number of times before. I hate saying no, so saying yes was very fulfilling. I expect lots of fanfare and pageantry as the band struts up onto the hallowed Bottom of the Hill stage, carrying me in a large tub of whiskey." "I am looking forward to seeing how many people will be at the show," singer/songwriter Jurado, also making his Noise Pop debut, said. "The last time I was [in San Francisco], I played to a packed crowd at Bottom of the Hill, and a friend of mine said that it was rare that anyone packs the place." For the second consecutive year, 2001 Noise Pop SF will also encompass a film festival, a roster and screening schedule for which is still being hammered out.
Passes for the 2001 Noise Pop SF are available for $100 through TicketWeb, and include entrance to any and all shows and films, as well as the Noise Pop Educational Series of guest speakers.
Shortly after wrapping this year's edition of Noise Pop SF, organizers will turn their focus to planning and lining up artists for a Noise Pop Chicago festival, set for May 9–13.
Performers and venues for the 2001 Noise Pop SF, as provided by the event's reps:
2/27
- Beulah, Mates of State, Call and Response and From Bubblegum to Sky @ Bottom of the Hill

2/28
- Jimmy Eat World, Creeper Lagoon, Carlos @ Great American Music Hall
- 764-Hero, Kingsbury Manx, Stratford 4 and the Papercuts @ Bottom of the Hill

3/1
- Devil in the Woods Party with Preston School of Industry, Cole Marquis and Aaron Nudelman @ The Make Out Room
- Zen Guerrilla, BellRays, Icarus Line, and 7th Standard @ Slim's
- Pedro the Lion, Starflyer 59, Jim Yoshii Pile-Up and Pinq @ Bottom of the Hill

3/2
- Crooked Fingers, Damien Jurado and John Vanderslice @ Café Du Nord
- Bright Eyes, Mark Eitzel, Track Star and Azure Ray @ Great American Music Hall
- Tarentel, the Court and Spark and the Church Steps @ Café Du Nord
- Girls Against Boys, the Pattern, Alien Crime Syndicate and Pocket for Corduroy @ Bottom of the Hill

3/3
- The Aislers Set, the Shins, the Orange Peels and Henry Miller Sextet @ Bottom of the Hill (early show)
- Oranger, Fiver, Persephone's Bees and Jolly @ Café Du Nord
- White Stripes, Holly Golightly, Vue and Lost Kids @ Great American Music Hall
- Superchunk, Spoon, Matt Suggs and Actionslacks @ Bimbo's 365 Club
- Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5 and Me First @ Bottom of the Hill (late show)

3/4
- Sunday's Best, onelinedrawing, the Good Life and Droo Church @ Bottom of the Hill
- Blonde Redhead, Pleasure Forever, Saint Andre and Jet Black Crayon @ Bimbo's 365 Club

Related Artists

Blonde Redhead

Grandaddy

Blonde Redhead - Not Getting There

08 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Not Getting There

Artist: Blonde Redhead

Label: 4AD

Director: Timothy Saccenti

Album: Sports [Expanded Edition]

Blonde Redhead - 23

27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EDT

23

Artist: Blonde Redhead

Label: 4AD Ltd

Director: Melodie McDaniel

Album: Dick Wellstood and His All-Star Orchestra Featuring Kenny Davern Plus The Blue Three

Photos | Siren Music Festival in Coney Island, NYC 07.17.2004

09 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Siren Music Festival in Coney Island, NYC 07.17.2004
Related Artists

Death Cab For Cutie

Blonde Redhead

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

TV On The Radio

Har Mar Superstar