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The Cure Join Crazy Line-Up for VOODOO Music + Arts Fest

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The Cure

This year’s VOODOO fest is shaping up to be an incredibly weird experience. Today, legendary mope-rockers The Cure announced they’ll be playing the festival, which already includes bands as disparate as Paramore, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Nine Inch Nails. This year’s VOODOO is the 15th anniversary edition, and it will take place in New Orleans on November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

To purchase tickets for the festival, head over to www.worshipthemusic.com. Prices range from a standard $175 three-day weekend pass to a fancy $1,250 version which includes two Voodoo Artist Laminates, reserved parking, on-stage viewing deck access, golf cart shuttle, complimentary food and drinks, and all kinds of other craziness. Check the site for full details.

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posted in Festivals by Ryan Reed


Cold War Kids Announce ‘Tuxedos’ EP, Release New Video

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cold war kids

Cold War Kids have announced their Tuxedos digital EP, which will be released September 17th via Downtown Records. This new six-track release follows this year’s Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, the alt-rock band’s fourth studio LP.

Tuxedos will include two rarities (“Romance Languages #2″ and “Pine St.”) formerly unreleased in the US, along with the title-track, an alternate take on “Bottled Affection,” and two covers (Antony and the Johnsons’ “Aeon” and The Band’s “You Don’t Come Through”). Take a listen to “Pine St.” at the band’s Soundcloud page.

The band will begin their headlining tour on August 15th with a show at San Diego’s House of Blues. The tour will continue through November 6th.

They’ve also released a new music video for the Lonelyhearts track “Water and Power.” Check out the clip below.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Blue Oyster Cult’s Allen Lanier Dead at Age 67

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Blue Oyster Cult

Allen Lanier, founding guitarist and keyboardist of classic-rock band Blue Oyster Cult, has died at age 67, after losing his battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The rest of the band broke the sad news on their official Facebook page.

Lanier was a major creative force behind the band’s music, co-writing classic tacks like “Lonely Teardrops” and “True Confessions.” As a founding member, he played with Blue Oyster Cult from 1967 until the band’s 2006 retirement, barring a brief absence in the 1980s.

Luckily, Lanier was able to play with his bandmates one last time in November, reuniting with B.O.C. for their 40th Anniversary show in New York.

“We love you and miss you,” the band says in their post. And we’re sure Cult fans will echo that sentiment.

The band’s frontman, Eric Bloom, also penned a touching tribute on his Facebook page.

“I’ll miss the guy even though we hadn’t spoken in awhile,” he wrote. “He was so talented as a musician and a thinker. He read voraciously, all kinds of things, especially comparative religion. We drove for years together, shared rooms in the early days. We partied, laughed, played. All BOC fans and band members will mourn his death.”

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Check Out ‘Comrade,’ a Magnificent New Volcano Choir Track

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Volcano Choir

Photo Credit: Cameron Wittig

Justin Vernon is arguably the busiest man in alternative music. When he isn’t taking the indie world by storm with his main project, Bon Iver, he’s playing in low-key side-projects like The Shouting Matches and producing albums by folks like The Blind Boys of Alabama. These days, it’s kinda hard to remember what’s a side-project and what isn’t. Whatever, he makes a lot of really great music with a lot of people.

Volcano Choir, his collaboration with Collections of Colonies of Bees, will release their sophomore LP, Repave, on September 3rd. Fans will be blown away by the full album (It’s a major leap forward), but until then, check out the official audio for a new track, “Comrade.”

It’s a sonic journey, morphing from loopy art-rock atmospherics to a rattling, tear-streaked crescendo. It’s pretty magnificent.

Pitchfork posted the lyrics, which are in line with Vernon’s typical poetic abstractions. (Lyrically, his songs work on an emotional and instinctual level, rather than a literal level.) We have to take issue, though: It sure sounds like he sings, “Eat the fuckin’ cornbread” at the end.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Adrian Belew Power Trio (and Other Prog Acts) Join Progressive Nation 2014 Cruise

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Progressive Nation 2014

A couple weeks ago, we shared news about Progressive Nation 2014, which will take place during a four-day Caribbean cruise. And now the line-up (which already featured artists like Jon Anderson, King’s X, and The Dear Hunter) has swelled even further with the addition of the Adrian Belew Power Trio and several other new acts.

The addition of the Adrian Belew Power Trio is a huge boost for the line-up. Belew — a veteran solo performer, side-man for bands like Talking Heads and Nine Inch Nails, and frontman/guitarist for King Crimson — is one of the most versatile figures in the prog community.

The festival will sail from February 18th to the 22nd. The line-up spans veterans and newcomers in the prog community; the full line-up is as follows: Transatlantic, Portnoy Sheehan Macalpine Sherinan, Jon Anderson, Adrian Belew’s Power Trio, Devin Townsend, King’s X, Spock’s Beard, The Flower Kings, Pain of Salvation, Riverside, Animals as Leaders, The Safety Fire, Tony Harnell & Bumblefoot, Bigelf, Beardfish, The Dear Hunter, Haken, Jolly, and Next to None.

More line-up announcements are forthcoming.

To purchase tickets (and explore further), check out the Progressive Nation website.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Check Out a Sampler from Peter Gabriel’s ‘And I’ll Scratch Yours’

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Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel recently announced the release of And I’ll Scratch Yours, a sequel to his 2010 orchestral covers album, Scratch My Back. The album will feature artists like covers of Gabriel tunes as performed by David Byrne, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Paul Simon, and Feist, among others.

Now fans can check out a sneak preview of the album by visiting the Real World Records website. There, you’ll be able to stream previews of each track, from a wonky Byrne take on “I Don’t Remember” to an atmospheric, emotional Bon Iver version of “Come Talk to Me.”

And I’ll Scratch Yours is out September 23rd on Real World.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Minus the Bear to Drop New LP, ‘Acoustics II,’ in September

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Minus the Bear

Seattle indie-rock icons Minus the Bear will release a new LP, Acoustics II, on September 10th. The album features MTB songs recorded in a stripped-down acoustic fashion, showcasing the songwriting at its barest and most intimate. The tracks span each of the band’s five albums, along with two new tracks, “Riddles” and “The Storm.”

The album — which was funded by a PledgeMusic campaign and recorded by longtime producer Matt Bayles in the spring — builds on the band’s previous acoustic set, the Acoustics EP. Though they’ve already eclipsed their financial goal, the PledgeMusic campaign is still active. Fans who purchase the album through the site will receive the music on September 3rd.

The band will also kick off a 39-city tour on September 8th with a performance at Sacramento’s Launch Festival. The tour will run through November 8th, culminating with a show in the band’s hometown of Seattle.

ACOUSTICS II TRACKLISTING
1)      Riddles
2)     The Game Needed Me
3)     Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse
4)     Diamond Lightning
5)     Hooray
6)     The Storm
7)     When We Escape
8)     Summer Angel
9)     Empty Party Rooms
10)  Dayglo

ACOUSTICS II CONCERT TOUR

9/8/13 – Sacramento, CA at Launch Festival

9/9/13 – San Francisco, CA at Slim’s**

9/10/13 – Los Angeles, CA at The Fonda Theater**

9/11/13 – Solana Beach, CA at Belly Up Tavern**

9/12/13 – Las Vegas, NV at The Pool at the Cosmopolitan

9/13/13 – Phoenix, AZ at Marquee**

9/14/13 – Santa Fe, NM at Railyard (Tera Melos only)

9/16/13 – Austin, TX at Emo’s East**

9/17/13 – Houston, TX at House of Blues**

9/18/13 – New Orleans, LA at Tiptina’s**

9/19/13 – Dallas, TX at Granada**

9/20/13 – Lawrence, KS at Granada**

9/21/13 – Denver, CO at Riotfest

9/22/13 – Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot**

9/24/13 – Pomona, CA at Glass House**

10/10/13 – Minneapolis, MN at Varsity Theater*

10/11/13 – Milwaukee, WI at The Rave*

10/12/13 – St Louis, MO at Plush*

10/13/13 – Indianapolis, IN at Vogue*

10/14/13 – Dekalb, IL at Otto’s*

10/15/13 – Cleveland, OH at House of Blues*

10/16/13 – Grand Rapids, MI at Intersection*

10/17/13 – Chicago, IL at Metro*

10/18/13 – Detroit, MI at Majestic*

10/19/13 – Niagara Falls, NY at Rapids Theatre*

10/20/13 – Toronto, ON at Opera House*

10/22/13 – Pittsburgh, PA at Mr. Smalls*

10/23/13 – New Haven, CT at Toad’s*

10/24/13 – Boston, MA at Royale*

10/25/13 – New York, NY at Best Buy*

10/26/13 – Philadelphia, PA at Electric Factory*

10/27/13 – Baltimore, MD at Soundstage Live*

10/28/13 – Lancaster, PA at Chameleon Club*

10/29/13 – Richmond, VA at The National*

10/30/13 – Asheville, NC at Orange Peel*

11/1/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL at Revolution*

11/2/13 – Orlando, FL at Beachum Theater*

11/3/13 – Atlanta, GA at Masquerade*

11/8/13 – Seattle, WA at Showbox

** with Tera Melos and The New Trust
* with INVSN and Slow Bird

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posted in News by HT Staff

The Chop House: Revealing Kate Bush Concert Documentary from 1980

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With “The Chop House,” we explore classic performances from bands with — you know — “chops.” Genres like progressive rock, art-rock, jazz-fusion — they’re nearly extinct in our current music culture. These days, we live (and consume art) impatiently, favoring a quick fix over a challenge. But here at Hidden Track, we refuse to let the dazzling, confrontational spirit of these wonderful bands die.

Kate Bush

Most pop fans know Kate Bush for her brief moment of stardom in the mid-80s, via The Hounds of Love and its iconic single “Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God).” But, like her sometimes-collaborator Peter Gabriel, Bush is an artist ill-defined by her commercial success: Her ten studio albums rank among the most diverse and musically rich in the history of rock. She’s part art-rock sorceress, part pop provocateur, part fairy-tale prog princess.

Bush is also infamous for avoiding the spotlight: She very rarely grants interviews, and she hasn’t toured since 1979. But that only adds to her sensual, artful mystique.

This German concert documentary is one of the best pieces of Bush-related footage in existence, featuring awesome concert footage from that sole tour, along with intimate interviews from both Bush and her family.

(A particularly great moment is when Bush talks about the influence of her older brothers’ prog-rock record collection. Another wonderful segment: Bush performing “Room for the Life” as she contorts in a heart-shaped bed, dressed in sparkly green spandex.)

Check out the full doc below:

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posted in Features by Ryan Reed


‘Breaking Bad’ Breakdown: ‘Buried’

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Breaking Bad Buried

(SPOILERS AHEAD, so “tread lightly,” ye Breaking Bad fanatics!)

Season Five, Episode 10, “Buried”

Written by: Thomas Schnauz, Directed by: Michelle MacLaren

When it’s all said and done, Breaking Bad may very well be remembered as the single greatest scripted drama in the history of television. And one of many reasons behind that acclaim is the show’s mastery of the “Show, Don’t Tell” principle: One worried wrinkle of Bryan Cranston’s brow, one dejected Aaron Paul glare — they’re equivalent to minutes of scripted dialogue.

Vince Gilligan and his stable of writers pride themselves on this achievement. Take the cold open from last night’s episode, “Buried” (penned by BB vet Thomas Schnauz): An old man gets in his truck; his headlights shed light on the fat stacks Jesse threw out of his car window in the previous episode; he stumbles around and notices a bizarre trail of cash, and ultimately walks down a hill to a playground, where Jesse is obliviously whirling around on a ride. Not a single word of dialogue is spoken, yet the scene is both hilarious and dread-inducing.

And the rest of “Buried” was so perfectly executed, so precise and knowing and dazzlingly crafted, it made last week’s premiere episode, the all-around excellent “Blood Money,” feel slight by comparison. A whole lot went down this week, but not a single scene felt crammed with information. Not a single line felt rushed, not a single plot point forced.

Quick Breakdown

Hank and Walt end their stare-off showdown, and Walt flees to his car, where he attempts to call Skyler, who’s already been hounded by Hank. This leads to a wonderfully acted game of cat-and-mouse between Skyler and Hank, who rendezvous at a diner and talk business. Hank wants Skyler to give a recorded statement about Walt’s meth empire, but she doesn’t bite, saying she needs a lawyer present. Hank clearly isn’t concerned about protecting his family anymore. He senses Skyler’s retisence and even calls her out, saying that her immediate cooperation could save her some suspicion from the authorities. It’s a delicate situation, and Skyler — once again — uses her street smarts to her advantage, screaming “Am I under arrest?” and storming out, leaving Hank with egg on his face.

Later, Hank uses Marie as a pawn to gain Skyler’s trust, and Skyler does break down, telling Marie she’s sorry and receiving one helluva bitch-slap for her troubles. Marie tries to steal the baby (So THAT’s the pay-off for the Marie-as-klepto subplot!), but when Skyler freaks out, Hank comes through the door and tells her to back off. It’s not worth getting the cops involved for an abduction at this point — his career could be at stake, given his previous track-record with the Heisenberg case. When Jesse is brought in front of local detectives and grilled about the millions he threw out his car window, Hank (finally back to work) seizes an opportunity to ask a few questions.

Meanwhile, Walt contacts Saul, who send his goons to collect the massive amount of laundered money. (This leads to one of the funniest scenes in the show’s history, with Huell and Kuby falling ass-backwards into a bed of cash.) There’s another excellent scene or two with Saul, who suggests, via code word, that perhaps Walt should “send (Hank) to Belize” (where Mike is currently, um, “vacationing.) Walt takes the cash out to the desert, charts his coordinates, and buries the dough. When he gets home, Skyler is waiting. Walt, exhausted, strips to his tighty-whities and passes out on the bathroom floor. When he wakes up, the two have one of their most intimate moments ever (“It’s true; the cancer’s back.” “Does that make you happy?” “I can’t remember the last time I was happy.”). Perfectly written and perfectly acted.

The episode’s most intense scene involves Lydia, who shows up in the desert and demands to know why Declan’s new meth cook is screwing the pooch with such impure quality of the blue stuff. Then the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Todd shows up, armed with his Aryan brotherhood of cronies, who gun down the guys and lead Lydia to safety. (Are we to assume Lydia was in on this operation? She does mention to Declan that she wishes Todd had been given another chance…)

Rating: A

Flawlessly executed in every way. This could have been a “moving plot points and characters around like chess pieces” episode, but instead, it advanced the plot in ways that were both logical and surprising. Everything from the score to the visuals (that amazing barrel-strapped camera shot in the desert) to the jokes (everything Saul said) to the acting (some of finest work yet from Betsy Brandt and Anna Gunn) was of the highest order.

Now for some random thoughts and my favorite moments of the night…

“The monkey is in the banana patch, capeesh?” – Saul

A gorgeous wide shot of the desert (coupled with a vaguely Middle Eastern electronic score) during Walt’s cash burial sequence

“I’ll give myself up if you promise me one thing: You keep the money; you never speak of it. You never give it up. Give it to our children.” – Walt

“So maybe our best move here…is to stay quiet” — Skyler echoing shades of Walt’s climactic soliloquy in the premiere episode…

So Todd started a fire during his first solo meth cook? Was it intentional? He’s such a freak…

Heisenberg may be headed for a grisly demise, but his tightie-whities are clearly immortal…

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posted in Breaking Bad by Ryan Reed

Gimme Some ‘Tooth’: John Lennon’s Molar Sent to Scientists for DNA Sequencing

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John Lennon

Maybe we’ll get that Lennon/McCartney reunion after all.

Back in 2011, dentist/all-around weirdo Michael Zuk purchased John Lennon’s molar for $31,000 at an auction. He’s taken his prized possession on bizarre tooth-tours across the country, embraced his K-level celebrity status by fielding various interviews, and written both a song and book about the molar . And now he’s kicked the creepy factor up a couple notches: As Ultimate Classic Rock points out, he recently sent the tooth to scientists for DNA sequencing.

Zuk’s Beatles obsession clearly goes to a deep (and deeply strange) place: In a recent interview with The Examiner, he compared the rock legend to a wooly mammoth, expressing his hopes for a Lennon clone: “To potentially say I had a small part in bringing back one of rock’s greatest stars would be mind-blowing,” Zuk said. “I am nervous and excited at the possibility that we will be able to fully sequence John Lennon’s DNA, very soon I hope. With researchers working on ways to clone mammoths, the same technology certainly could make human cloning a reality.”

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posted in News by HT Staff

Cover Alert: The Lumineers Tackle Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’

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Lumineers Press Session

The Lumineers currently have America swooning with “Ho Hey,” aka “The Indie-Folk Sing-Along That Refuses to Die.” But they’ve just earned some major cool points for their reinterpretation of Talking Heads’ 1983 classic “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” which strips the quirky, funky love song down to a simple strumming pattern, a raw lead vocal, and barely-there strings.

The cover will appear on the upcoming deluxe edition of The Lumineers’ self-titled debut, out tomorrow.

Check out the track below:

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posted in Cover Alert by Ryan Reed

Watch John Mayer Play the Groovy ‘Wildfire’ on Letterman

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John Mayer

Last night, John Mayer stopped by The Late Show with David Letterman to perform “Wildfire,” a groovy, soulful cut from his brand new LP, the excellent Paradise Valley (out today).

Mayer’s had some challenges lately: battling tabloid-bait break-ups, racism accusations, and throat granulomas that kept him off-stage for a couple years. It’s great to see him back on-stage, even if he’s randomly decided to start wearing hippie-biker gear.

Meanwhile, his fall tour is still going strong. Check out the dates at his website.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Coheed and Cambria Announce Headlining Fall Tour

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Coheed and Cambria

Concept-prog warriors Coheed and Cambria will kick off a headlining fall tour on October 16th at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band will play through early November, and they’ll bring along emo-punk openers Balance and Composure and I the Mighty.

Coheed are currently touring as part of the Rockstar Energy UPROAR Festival, along with headliners Alice and Chains and Jane’s Addiction. To purchase tickets to any of the band’s upcoming shows, visit the Coheed website.

The band’s upcoming tour dates are below:

August 20th                            Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre*
August 22nd                           Tinley Park (Chicago), IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre*
August 23rd                            Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center*
August 24th                            Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater*
August 26th                            St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant***
August 27th                            Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheater*
August 28th                            Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion*
August 29th                            The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion **
August 31st                            Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre*
September 1st                       Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*
September 2nd                     Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre*
September 3rd                      Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues***
September 5th                      Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center*
September 7th                      Seattle, WA @ 99.9FM Pain the Grass Fest at The Gorge Amphitheatre
September 8th                      Ridgefield, WA @ Sleep Country Amphitheatre **
September 11th                    San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre*
September 13th                    Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater*
September 14th                    Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Sky Pavilion*
September 15th                    Chula Vista, CA @ Rock 105.3 Festival at Sleep Train Amphitheater
September 27th                    Kansas City, MO @ Berkley Riverfront Park
October 16th                         Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom #
October 18th                         Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel #
October 20th                         Stroudsburg, PA @ The Sherman Theater #
October 21st                          Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live #
October 22nd                        Huntington, NY @ The Paramount #
October 25th                         Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave #
October 26th                         Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room #
October 27th                         Columbus, OH @ The LC Indoor Pavilion #
October 29th                         Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall #
October 30th                         Little Rock, AR @ Revolution! Music Room #
October 31st                         Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom #
November 2nd                      San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit #
November 4th                       Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen AL #
November 5th                       New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre #
November 6th                       Jackson, MS@ Hal & Mal’s #
November 8th                       Richmond, VA @ The National #
November 9th                       Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues #

* Rockstar Energy UPROAR Festival tour dates
** Main Stage Bands Only at Rockstar Energy UPROAR Festival
***Headlining shows with Circa Survive
# Fall headlining shows with Balance and Composure and I the Mighty

The band recently visited CONAN, where they performed their latest single, “Dark Side of Me.” Check out the click below (along with a blistering live performance of my favorite C+C track, 2003′s “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3″).

Are you attending any of these Coheed shows? Let us know in the comments section.

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Giveaway: Share Your Best Pink Floyd Story, Win a Copy of the New Roger Waters Biography

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Roger Waters

Roger Waters is one of the most innovative and enigmatic songwriters in rock history. And in a new biography, Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall (out September 17th via Backbeat Books), rock journalist/author Dave Thompson profiles the man at length.

According to a press release, the 288-page book “traces (Waters’) life from war-torn suburbia to the stage and wars with his audience, bandmates, and himself.” Through extensive research and interviews with Waters’ friends and associates, “Thompson seeks to reach the truth and depth of the man behind the wall.”

One lucky fan will win a copy of The Man Behind the Wall, and all you have to do is share your favorite moment in Pink Floyd history in the comments section. Get creative: It can be a personal interaction you had with Waters/Floyd, or maybe an interesting memory or anecdote related to the albums or live shows. The more unique and interesting, the better. The deadline for the giveaway is this Friday, August 23rd, at 5:00 p.m. EST, so get busy.

Waters is currently on tour with The Wall Live. Check out the remaining dates at his website.

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posted in Giveaways by Ryan Reed

Hidden Jams: Clara Engel

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In the Bandcamp/Soundcloud era, there’s a lot of crap floating around the internet — but there’s also a wealth of excellent music most people will never hear. With “Hidden Jams,” we put a spotlight on those great albums.

cover

One of the coolest perks of rock journalism (besides the incredible pay — just kidding) is that you’re constantly immersed in (and bombarded with) music. Besides the countless albums that are e-mailed and Fed-Ex’d to me every work day, I’m also pelted by submissions from musicians themselves, touting their new Garageband-recorded EP or 4-track concept album. Needless to say, a lot of it is pure shit, and with my ridiculous work hours (one of the downsides to rock journalism), I don’t listen to nearly as much of the good stuff as I crave. But every once in awhile, when the stars align, I’m smacked in the face by something pretty interesting.

Last night, I received an e-mail from Clara Engel, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter who released a fairly stunning EP, The Lovebird’s Throat, last year. I clicked on her Bandcamp page almost out of a dejected reflex, but I was immediately captivated by what I heard.

Engel’s sound is minimal and brooding — built on simple, glistening guitar mantras, the occasional droning keyboard or tom-tom flourish, and (most prominently) her haunted, booming alto, which skirts delicately across these skeletal sonic frameworks. There are four tracks on the EP, but they’re all variations of the same general idea. Engel’s voice, in its raw sensuality, echoes that of art-rock sorceress Kate Bush, while the music casts a gothic spell not unlike something in a David Lynch soundtrack. Every second is captivating, but my favorite tracks are the final two: “Married to the Bone” is a creeping blues vamp, with Engel’s voice wandering gracefully over tremolo and slave-chain percussion. “Lovebirds” marries evocative imagery (“Every time I cut off your head, you grow another”) with a tortured nursery-rhyme melody.

Check out a two-track stream below. If you like what you hear, head over to her Bandcamp page and buy the whole EP.

Below is a video of a live performance from earlier this year.

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posted in Hidden Jams by Ryan Reed


Carl Palmer Very Nearly Joined Black Sabbath

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Carl Palmer

Carl Palmer, legendary drummer/percussionist for prog-rock giants Emerson Lake & Palmer, was invited to join Black Sabbath for their new reunion album, 13, but he was tied up touring with ’80s supergroup Asia.

Palmer broke the (quite shocking) news to W.E.E.N., stating that Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi offered him the job after original drummer Bill Ward declined to reunite with his bandmates.

“Tony and I did talk when they were looking for drummers to make the album and he put me forward,” Palmer said. “I couldn’t do it because I was off with Asia; we were touring, and then something else came up. I couldn’t have done it, but I would have loved to. It just wasn’t on the cards.”

Palmer also talked about the appeal of Sabbath’s signature brand of metal, which stands in sharp contrast to ELP’s classically-oriented prog.

“I was classically trained, but basically I’m a rock drummer, and I’ve never been in a true out-and-out guitar band like Black Sabbath, where it’s just big riffs – very simple but very dynamic,” he said. “It would be extremely invigorating.”

“The older I get, the more I appreciate that music,” he continues. “I was late to come to heavy metal. Asia had a bit of that but we were a little bit more corporate rock and melodic.”

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posted in News by HT Staff

The National’s Bryce Dessner to Release Collaboration with Kronos Quartet

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Bryce Dessner

Bryce Dessner, guitarist-songwriter for The National, is releasing an album of compositions recorded with the experimental, Grammy-winning string ensemble Kronos Quartet. The collaboration, Aheym, will be released November 5th on Anti- Records.

Though he’s known for his work in the field of indie-rock, Dessner is no stranger to the realm of classical composition. He’s also collaborated with artists as disparate as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, David Lang, and Sufjan Stevens.

The Aheym project began when Kronos founder David Harrington asked Desnner to write a composition for the Quartet’s 2009 performance at the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival. The result was “Aheym” (which means “homward” in Yiddish), which was inspired by stories from Dessner’s grandparents.

According to a press release, the album “also includes a performance dedicated to Laurence Neff, Kronos Quartet’s lighting designer of 25 years (“Tenebre”); a composition influenced by obscure Czech viola da gamba performers Irena and Vojtěch Havel (“Little Blue Something”); and “Tour Eiffel,” a setting of a poem by Chilean poet Vicente Huidobro that was originally commissioned by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (which perform the track on Aheym alongside Kronos Quartet) at the suggestion of Dessner’s close friend, composer Nico Muhly.”

The album’s tracklist is below:
1. Aheym
2. Little Blue Something
3. Tenebre
4. Tour Eiffel

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

David Byrne Reflects on Peter Gabriel Version of ‘Listening Wind’

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David Byrne

On September 23rd, Real World will release And I’ll Scratch Yours, the reciprocated sequel from Peter Gabriel’s orchestral song-swap album, 2010′s Scratch My Back. Among the musicians covering Gabriel’s music are Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Brian Eno, Feist, Paul Simon, and David Byrne.

Gabriel has been featuring interviews with these artists on his Facebook and official website. In this newly released clip, Byrne talks about Gabriel’s emotional version of the Talking Heads simmering terrorist tale “Listening Wind.”

“It’s a touchy subject,” Byrne laughs. “(Gabriel) brings a kind of sweetness out of the song. It brings a lot of yearning and personal emotion.”

Check out the brief interview below, along with both versions of “Listening Wind.” Does Gabriel’s actually top the original? While there were some iffy moments on Scratch My Back, his version of “Listening Wind” is certainly triumphant.

And I’ll Scratch Yours is currently available for pre-order on Gabriel’s website.

Talking Heads – “Listening Wind”

Peter Gabriel – “Listening Wind”

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

Back Off, Jerk: ‘Are You Not Entertained?’ – In Defense of Roland Emmerich

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There’s a fine line between camp and class, between low-brow and high-brow. Have you ever been that person who’s constantly defending a movie or TV show or album that everybody else seems to despise? With “Back Off, Jerk,” Hidden Track writers tell the rest of the universe to wake up and stop hatin’.

This week, John Graeber defends the often-panned work of action-adventure film director Roland Emmerich.

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Few things are as quintessentially American as Will Smith punching an alien.

Movies can be art, for sure, but they’re also made to entertain. I enjoy thoughtful, artful movies as much as anyone, but I don’t want to wade through Citizen Kane every time I click on the television. Sometimes I want to settle into a comfortable chair and turn my brain off for a couple of hours.

And few directors’ movies are as wildly entertaining as those made by Roland Emmerich, purveyor of city-swallowing waves and Jake Gylenhaal outrunning the cold.

I’m sure the acclaimed French drama Amour, released the same fall as Emmerich’s end of the world extravaganza 2012, was a phenomenal silent film, but I just didn’t want to see it. Maybe that makes me a rube. Maybe it just makes me a person who appreciates microphones.

Emmerich’s movies are formulaic, sure. But formulas exist for a reason — because, sometimes, they work. They reach fundamental parts of our humanity that everyone experiences. The “estranged husband and irresponsible father trying to reunite his family” storyline Emmerich uses repeatedly works because even the best men want to be better dads and husbands. Emmerich just plays this out against a backdrop of global apocalypse.

And admit it — no matter how good a guy your ex-wife’s new husband is, you still don’t feel all that bad when he gets crushed to death in a boat’s giant gears. (Poor Gordon.)

In the previously mentioned Independence Day, we identify so closely with Steven Hiller, Will Smith’s character, because, confronted with an alien race armed with superior technology, Hiller understands all he needs are two fists to defeat his enemy, extraterrestrial or not.

But, most importantly, Emmerich’s movies entertain — they’re fun.

It’s a simple concept but not necessarily an easy one to pull off. There are more than a few duds that clutter the local cineplex each year. Emmerich himself has his own fair share of misses (10,000 BC anyone?)

But when Emmerich is on, few do it better.

Movies like this must be fun. It’s the cardinal sin that can lead even the best director to fail — think Spielberg’s War of the Worlds.

Emmerich, on the other hand, is clearly having the time of his life writing scripts straight out of Al Gore’s nightmares. He understands that people sitting down in a theater to watch a movie about the end of the world have long since checked their incredulity at the door, and he runs with it.

His delight in upping the ante is almost childlike. Most popcorn flicks are satisfied with one ridiculously impossible airplane escape; 2012 gives us four, the first immediately preceded by a limo driven through a building while it’s collapsing.

We cheer as our heroes escape from yet one more near-death experience despite — quite literally — millions of people dying in the background. We feel relief as John Cusack wings away with his family, dodging suddenly airborne subway trains, while Los Angeles slides into the Pacific Ocean.

And the special effects Emmerich uses allow viewers to feel the visceral thrill of seeing natural disasters up close, or aliens hovering over major metropolitan areas.

A discussion of Emmerich isn’t complete without a brief mention of his obsession with destroying the White House.

These are brief scenes in his prior movies, but his latest disregards all the other plot formalities to give the audience two solid hours of White House destroying.

The singular focus in 2013′s White House Down feels positively small-scale after the global reach of The Day After Tomorrow and 2012. But Emmerich didn’t really have anywhere to go in the planet-wide catastrophe genre.

And I give Emmerich the benefit of the doubt that he’s merely using the potent iconography of the White House as yet one more scene to emphasize the sheer magnitude of the catastrophe that’s taking place. Still, if this guy isn’t on a watch list somewhere at the FBI, someone is seriously remiss in their duties.

So do yourself a favor. Pop in 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow and willingly suspend your disbelief. Don’t complain about how ridiculous it is that the Earth’s crust just happened to shift exactly where it needed to for Cusack’s family to survive, or that Jake Gylenhaal is somehow able to outrun a temperature drop that flash froze a helicopter.

Accept the movies on their own terms. You might still hate them, and if you do, that’s okay. But you might just find yourself laughing uncontrollably at their delightful absurdity. Despite your best efforts, you might find yourself entertained.

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posted in Back Off Jerk by John Graeber

Rubblebucket Unveil New Tour Dates, New EP Tracklist

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Rubblebucket

Alt-funk all-stars Rubblebucket released one of my sleeper favorites of 2011 with the stellar Omega La La LP. They’ve been incredibly active in the interim, but 2013 is shaping up to be another huge year: They’ve just announced a massive fourth-quarter tour, and their new EP, Save Charlie comes out September 24th.

Here’s the full tracklist for the EP:

1. Save Charlie
2. Patriotic
3. What A Fool Believes (Doobie Brothers Cover)
4. Six Hands
5. Save Charlie (Big Black Delta Remix)
6. What A Fool Believes (Fun Secret Remix)
7. Save Charlie (Chico Mann Remix)

The full tour dates are below. A full stream of Omega La La is available at the band’s Soundcloud page.

8/31: Troy, OH @ Troy Memorial Stadium (Gentlemen of the Road Stopover)#
10/1: New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall (Communion)*
10/2: Washington, DC @ Black Cat (Communion)*
10/3: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s (Communion)*
10/4: Providence, RI @ Fete
10/8: Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird (Communion)*
10/9: Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar (Communion)*
10/10: Nashville, TN @ The High Watt (Communion)*
10/11: Athens, GA @ New Earth Music Hall
10/12: Clarksville, TN @ Fly Free Festival
10/25: Fort Collins, CO @ Hodi’s Half Note
10/26: Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
10/28: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/29: Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/31: Eugene, OR @ Cozmic Pizza
11/1: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
11/2: Seattle, WA @ Barboza
11/6: Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
11/7: Oakland, CA @ New Parish
11/8: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
11/9: Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
11/20: Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theatre
11/22: Boston, MA @ Paradise
11/23: Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
12/4: Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
12/5: Grand Rapids, MI @ Founders
12/6: Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose
12/7: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

# w/ Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Vaccines & more
*Roadkill Ghost Choir, Willy Mason and multiple local artists support

Also, while you’re at it, checkk out the official Video for the excellent “Came Out of a Lady”:

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posted in News by Ryan Reed

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