Audio Absinthe

Edge, Page & White turn up the volume on the big screen

- Posted by AGM -

“You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten…all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?” asks the immortal Nigel Tuffnel in the mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap.

The answer may be coming soon to a theatre near you…

Not since 1984’s release of Spinal Tap has a “Rockumentary” caused so much of a ruckus. But this summer’s It Might Get Loud is going to make a hell of a lot of noise.

It Might Get Loud is a homage to the electric guitar, paid with a backstage pass to the lives of three rock icons from three generations – Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, U2’s The Edge and White Stripe/Raconteur Jack White. The film gives an up close look at each guitar hero’s style, habits and influences and culminates with what promises to be an epic jam session.

Directed by Academy-Award winner Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), the documentary was conceived by producer Thomas Tull (The Dark Night). The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, was well received at Sundance and garnered a standing ovation last month at the LA Film Festival.

“You could find other guitarists that were virtuosos, and you could find other guitarists that are legends, but you may not find three that are all searchers,” Guggenheim told Rolling Stone. “Each one of them is still searching and still trying to figure out what it means to make music.”

Though I haven’t seen the film yet, I haven’t been as psyched for a rock’n’roll movie since Scorcese made Shine a Light. I applaud Tull for selecting three perfect subjects – different in style, attitude and influence. Rolling Stone ranked all three in the top 25 all time (Page 9, White 17, Edge 24) and it should be interesting to hear White’s dirty, feedback infused-sound meld with The Edge’s melodic, anthem-style riffs.

Loud will be released in LA and NYC on August 14 with wider release to follow. Let’s hope your local cinema is ready to turn their amp up to eleven.

Gritty, grimey, rough rock feels good.  ”60 Feet Tall,” the first track on The Dead Weather’s new album, Horehound (July 2009), is the perfect intro to an album filled with that kind of edgy, authentic rock.  Definitely one of the best albums this year, check it out if you haven’t already…

MP3: The Dead Weather – So Far From Your Weapon

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The Temper Trap album Conditions (August 2009) has been playing in my car non stop since my friend gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. The band’s official website has the album coming out in August of 2009 but I think it leaked on the internet last month because a lot of people already have it. The only thing available in iTunes right now is the single. Check out as much as you can on the internet until you can get the whole album.  This is another great one.

The Temper Trap
MP3: Sweet Disposition
MP3: Down River

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Every month I like to check out the KCRW DJ picks of the month at KCRW.com.  The DJs always have great choices and occasionally they pick an album from a group I’ve never heard of.  Black Moth Super Rainbow is one of these groups and they’re latest album, Eating Us (May 2009), is the band’s fourth full length release.  The sound is pretty unique but if I had to describe it I would say it’s like Air meets Boards of Canada.  Now I need to go back and listen to the older material.

Black Moth Super Rainbow
MP3: Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise
MP3: Twin Of Myself
MP3: Fields Are Breathing

Interesting album cover art…-

Speaking of great things on KCRW, 89.9 is where I first heard “Strangers” by St Vincent.  I think it’s a great, artistic song with cinematic qualities that instantly captivated me.  St Vincent is Annie Clark, who toured with Sufjan Stevens and the Polyphonic Spree.

St Vincent
MP3: Strangers

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The Very Best is Esau Mwamwaya plus producers Radioclit.  The title track from the upcoming album features Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend.  It’s arguable as to whether or not Vampire Weekend is responsible for the surge in popuarity of African influenced styles in the music world right now.

The Very Best
MP3: Warm Heart of Africa

- Posted by AGM -

“I just don’t know what to do with myself,” Jack White moans on a 2003 White Stripes track off the Elephant album. He is certainly full of ideas though.

White is a restless soul. The Detroit rocker who Rolling Stone once ranked as the 17th best guitarist of all time has never been able to sit still too long. After garnering critical acclaim (a Grammy win) and selling over 12 million records as the front man of The White Stripes, White has spent the much of the last 5 years on a whirlwind of new projects.
The shaggy haired guitarist has tried his hand in acting (Cold Mountain, Walk Hard), producing (Loretta Lynn’s Grammy Award winning Van Lear Rose) and sharing the mic with Brandon Benson as part of The Raconteurs.
His latest project, however, has put White in unfamiliar territory – behind the drum set.

White, who moved to Nashville to unveil his Third Man Records Headquarters, recently debuted his newest side project – The Dead Weather.

Dead Weather is a four piece blues-rock powerhouse fronted by the Kills’ Alison Mosshart. The idea for the group was born on last year’s Raconteurs/Kills tour when a case of bronchitis put Jack’s voice on the sidelines and threatened to cancel some shows. Instead, Mosshart was asked to fill in and impressed the crew so much – “it reenergized the tour,” White told Rollins Stone – they created a new band around her. Weather is rounded out by the Raconteurs’ Jack Lawrence on bass and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Dan Ferrita on guitar.

The band, who debuted for 150 of their closest friends in Nashville last month, will release their first album Horehound in June on White’s Third Man label. They also plan to tour and will hit NYC’s Bowery Ballroom this week.

Here is the first single “Hang You by the Heavens.”

Mosshart’s sireny voice and the track’s lyrics and attitude remind me of the White Stripes first album. It is a bit less polished than a Raconteurs track and it seems like White is steering the group back toward his Detroit garage beginnings.

It’ll be interesting to see how White handles being out of the spotlight and what this means for the White Stripes, Raconteurs and Kills…

The Dead Weather – Hang You From The Heavens / Are Friends Electric

“Hang You From The Heavens” and this cover of Gary Numan’s “Are Friends Electric” are brand new tracks from The Dead Weather, Jack White’s newest band (depending on when you read this).  Even though he plays drums for the group, the distinctive Jack White sound is just as prevalent as ever.  The Kill’s Alison Mosshart handles lead vocals with White’s fellow Raconteur bass player Jack Lawrence and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Dean Fertita.  The upcoming LP, Horehound, is produced by White and should be released this summer.  According to Rolling Stone, the band formed shortly after White became ill and lost his voice on the Kills/Raconteurs tour-  Mosshart helped out by singing tracks like “Steady As She Goes” which Jack White described as “reenergizing” the tour and soon enough The Dead Weather was formed and recorded their first 7″.
The Dead Weather – Hang You From The Heavens / Are Friends Electric

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A DJ/Producer named Tor sampled a bunch of Sufjan Stevens songs and created a pretty impressive album of hip hop instrumentals.  Tor recently released the instrumental album along with a version of the songs with vocals from tracks and artists you may recognize such as Outkast, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Brother Ali, Grand Puba, Gift of Gab and more.  And all of this is free.  Check out the track list and a couple of the tracks below.  Then go to the official website and download it all…

Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Star of Wonder / None Shall Pass (f. Aesop Rock)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Dumb I Sound / ATLiens (f. Outkast)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – John Wayne Gacy Jr. / Specialize (f. Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – The Tallest Man / I Like It (f. Grand Puba)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Kill / Any Type of Way (f. Big Daddy Kane & DJ Premier)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – Night Zombies / Talkin’ My Shit (f. Brother Ali)
Tor / Sufjan Stevens – The Dress Looks Nice On You / Make You Feel That Way (f. Gift Of Gab)

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This one is kind of weird.  I kept hearing it on KCRW and finally I caved and bought it on iTunes.  ”Sonnrise” is off Sonny J’s 2008 album Disastro and it sounds like Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline Rag” meets Zero 7 using samples from Johnny Cash and Azymuth. Except it’s not all of that.  It’s Sonny J.
Sonny J – Sonnrise

First song is the new, upcoming James Bond movie theme by Jack White and Alicia Keys.  It’s called “Another Way To Die”.  When I first heard the two were teaming up for the new Bond theme, I thought it was a very interesting pairing and I kind of liked the idea.  I was anxious to be impressed.  Jack White did write a very cool, edgy theme but it’s not as impressive as I thought it could be, or even should be. It’s almost underwhelming but it is a great track.