Reports are suggesting that there will be a new Beatles album released next month. There is a show in Vegas being produced by George Martin and his son, which is being overseen by McCartney, Starr and Yoko Ono caleld Mirage. Martin stated:
“The music was designed for the ‘LOVE’ show in Las Vegas but in doing so we’ve created a Beatles album. The Beatles always looked for other ways of expressing themselves and this is another step forward for them.”
DMX‘s show in New York ended in violence at the weekend, with a female fan ending up in hospital. The rapper became very unhappy at the technical difficulties experienced during his set at the Back To School Jam 06 and stormed off stage.
When he came back on stage, he returned with his entourage and bottles of water were thrown into the crowd. The crowd began to throw things back, which included a chair which was thrown back and it was this that hit the female fan, sending her to hospital. The police were forced to end the show.
Chicago’s Spitalfield have released their third album, Better Than Knowing Where You Are, which is out now to buy for all you lucky people.
The album will feature the tracks The Only Thing That Matters, Curtain Call and the first single Secrets In Mirrors.
Good Shoes, who earned rave reviews at the Reading and Leeds festivals, are to play a number of one-off gigs this Autumn in support of their new single Photos which will be out on November 20th. The single will come from their upcoming debut album and you can check them performing live at the following dates:
October:
15th – London, The Barfly
November:
1st – Dublin, Crawdaddy ‘Antics’
2nd – Galway, Roisin Dubh ‘Strange Brew’
21st – Oxford, Zodiac
22nd – Cambridge, Soul Tree ‘Club Goo’
23rd – Manchester, Night & Day
24th – Liverpool, Korova ‘Club Evol’
26th – Birmingham, Bar Academy
27th – Glasgow, King Tuts
28th – Leeds, Brudnell Social Club
29th – London, Kings College
30th – Bristol, Academy II
London Astoria
22.09.06
Why write a 3 minute song when you can write a 7 min song with a 4 min rock super jam tacked on the end, MMJ can’t think of a reason why not. Here’s a band who aren’t afraid of a guitar solo and from the moment they opened it was like a time machine ride to 1972! Think Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pink Floyd and Lynyrd Skynyrd with hair to match.
Opening with a slow build, as a few of their songs do, the atmospheric Wordless Chorus, frontman, guitarist and main songwriter Jim James sings his heart out throughout, and careers around the stage the entire 2 hour set, the rest of the band doing well to keep up with him. A lot of the set is taken up from their last album Z, and rightly so, songs like Beats for You, Gideon, Off the Record and Lay Low sound better than on record, this is a band who thrive on playing live, you can tell this band have been on the road for well over a yearnow. Other highlights include the epic Run Thru, the sublime Golden and set closer Mahgeeta.
So if you can’t wait for them to come back to the UK next year, a double live album and DVD, Okonokos, is out 2nd Oct, and that’s right – It Rocks!
Nelson Bibb
[Photo by CC Baxter]
In their fifteen-year existence, Boston quartet Converge have constantly blurred the lines between metal, hardcore, and all-out sonic warfare; creating a unique, progressive sound that has won them plenty of devoted fans and critical acclaim for albums such as ‘Petitioning The Empty Sky’ and ‘Jane Doe’. Alex Gosman caught up with vocalist Jacob Bannon for a chat about forthcoming new album ‘No Heroes’, and the band’s current activity.
How are you guys, and what have you been up to since you last visited the UK [in April last year]?
Well, we’ve been writing and recording the new album, doing a few tours in the United States…right now we’re on the road with Mastodon and The Bronx, and we’re on our way to a show in Chicago.
You recently did a few dates on the US leg of the Sounds Of The Underground tour [an increasingly popular multi-band metal/hardcore tour] – how did that go?
It was…interesting! We’re not really fans of festival tours and things of that nature, so it definitely wasn’t our ideal environment to play in. But you might as well try everything once, you know? There were some great bands there, it was just that we didn’t like that huge amphitheatre environment – it’s kind of impersonal.
It’s been nearly two years since you released [previous album] ‘You Fail Me’ – are you happy with how it was received, and in retrospect, is there anything about it that you feel you should’ve done differently?
Not necessarily, no…we were all pretty happy with the record when it was finished. We’d had to overcome a lot of legal issues and label issues before it was finally released through Epitaph, so it felt like a great victory when it finally came out. In that way, it was more than just releasing a record – it was more like a new chapter for our band. The new record was the product of a whole new recording and touring environment for us, so again, it’s like a new chapter for us.
Is there any particular reason why you decided to sign to Epitaph Records?
Well, we had those legal disagreements and other issues with [previous label] Equal Vision – but ever since we signed to Epitaph, we’ve had a really positive experience. For the most part, they’ve been very supportive of everything we’re doing, they understand what we’re about, so it’s worked out pretty well.
What’s the story behind the title of ‘No Heroes’? Do you feel that it’s pointless to idolise other people/bands?
It’s completely pointless – but that’s not the overall theme of the album: just of the ‘No Heroes’ song. We thought that title would work well for the record too, but it’s not a concept album or anything like that; it’s still very much a personal record, written about our experiences over the last couple of years.
But as one of the more forward-thinking bands of today, you’re viewed as musical heroes – or at least a huge inspiration – by a lot of other bands, including some who are local to me. How do you feel about that?
It’s flattering, but it’s not the reason why we do what we do as a band. We just try to write music that is moving and exciting to us, and that challenges us – and that really is our only goal. We’ve never been concerned with attaining any level of commercial success. If people enjoy what we do or are influenced by us, then that’s great, but it’s not something we reflect on.
Was there any particular lyrical inspiration for ‘No Heroes’?
All the songs are about specific experiences I’ve had over the last couple of years…but I’d rather just let people listen to the music, read the lyrics and see what they get out of it. I think that for the first time, the songs are poetic but also pretty literal, so I think a fair amount of people could relate to a lot of the personal stuff in there.
One track that really stands out on ‘No Heroes’ is the ten minute long ‘Grim Heart/Black Rose‘ – how did that come about?
Yeah, it’s ten minutes long, and it also has a guest vocal from Jonah Jenkins, who sang in Only Living Witness and Miltown – he’s been one of my favourite vocalists since I was a teenager. We’d been working on the song for a while, and in my head I could imagine him singing on it – so I figured it was a long-shot, but that I might as well ask him, and he was happy to be involved. So he sings for the first five minutes, and then I come in for the remainder of the song. So yeah, we’re really happy about how that one worked out.
Finally, what are your plans for the near future, after ‘No Heroes’ is released?
After this current tour finishes in a couple of weeks, we’re gonna take October off, then we’ll be touring the States again with Some Girls and Modern Life Is War. Next year, we’re gonna concentrate on worldwide touring, getting to Europe, Japan, Australia and other places. We’re hoping to make it to Europe and the UK around springtime.
‘No Heroes’ is released October 23rd on Epitaph Records. Check www.convergecult.com for more info.
Teenage Fanclub have launched what is being called the UK’s “biggest ever music festival” with over 1,000 events taking place across the country this month in aid of Oxfam. Events included in Oxjam are a 24 hour non-stop busk held in 10 cities, a karaoke record attempt in Manchester and hundreds of gigs including shows from the likes of De La Soul.
Teenage Fanclub vocalist, Norman Blake, said of the event:
“We originally got together in my granny’s bedroom in Bellshill. You too could form a DIY band, play some gigs, make some noise and fight poverty at the same time. You never know what it might achieve”.
George Michael has been done for possession of cannabis for the second time this year. His car was blocking a road at some traffic lights in London on Sunday and was reported by angry motorists.
When the police got to the car, Michael was behind the wheel and was arrested on suspicion possession and being unfit to drive. He has been bailed until next year pending inquiries.
The last ever gig at the legendary CBGBs in New York will be performed by Patti Smith, on October 15th, just before the venue closes its doors for the final time.
The venue has been forced to close after there was no agreement made with its landlord over rent levels in the future. Hilly Kristal, the owner of the club, has said he’ll reopen the venue in Vegas, expected to be open in 2008.
Trojan Records have signed Pama International – The first signing the label has made in 30 years. The group will feature members of Lee Perry’s Band, Pop Will Eat Itself, Bentley Rhythm Ace and The Specials, with the live mixing done by UK’s own Mannaseh.
Their new album Pama International – Trojan Sessions, is out now and features guests such as Rico Rodriguez, Dawn Penn and AJ Franklin.
Their live show can be seen on the Trojan Sessions Tour this month, at the following venues:
October
15th – London Dingwalls
19th – Southampton Nexus
20th – Bristol Clockwork
21th – Nottingham Maze
22nd – Brighton Audio
November
19th – Boss Sounds Festival with Lee Perry, Prince Buster & Jimmy Cliff