September 11: How Music Responded
Long Read of the Day: We wrote earlier today about the music that people listened to after the events of September 11 occurred, but before they had any effect on recordings. Over at MTV Hive, five pieces explore what those effects turned out to be for pop, country, indie rock, rap, and dance. [MTV Hive]
Coldplay Share Cover Art And Final Tracklisting For New Album Coldplay posted the details for Mylo Xyloto, due out October 25, on their website this afternoon. Also, each track has its own little pictogram. (The symbol for “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”? A teardrop.) [Coldplay.com] [click to continue…]
New York tri-state power-pop fans have a big reason to be happy today: hyper-prolific songwriter Adam Schlesinger has re-teamed with his bandmates for the first Fountains of Wayne album since 2007′s Traffic and Weather. The critically-acclaimed but perennially underrated (and isn’t that always the way with power-pop?) band returns with “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart,” the first single from the forthcoming Sky Full of Holes. The song premiered this morning on Vulture.
Schlesinger has kept plenty busy in the interim, of course; he’s written dozens of songs for television and film, including the theme to That Thing You Do!, which won him an Oscar nomination, and, most recently, interstitial music for the Billboard Music Awards last month. He was also the primary songwriter for the super-group Tinted Windows, formed by his Scratchie Records partner James Iha, and featuring Taylor Hanson and Cheap Trick‘s Bun E. Carlos. But it’s good to have the old band back, if you’re into bright pop songs about love and/or the Northeast Corridor. And who knows? Maybe this record will have another “Stacy’s Mom.”
[Wait for It is our regular roundup of things to look forward to in
pop culture. Whatever gets you through the week...]
Music
When you write a psych-pop ditty called "Revolving Dora" about a dervish chick ("there’s something blurry about that girl, oh yeahhhh") you deserve a high-five for wit. Cue applause, then: Fountains of Wayne return to action on April 3 with the rather remarkable Traffic and Weather. After a weekend’s-worth of in-home spinning (or is that revolving?) I’m here to say it sounds great. You know how catchy their stuff is. You know how poignant their barbs can be. Yep, they’ve got it going on again. Heads up to hackysack fiends; one tune’s called "Planet of Weed."
– Jim Macnie
Graying rappers the Beastie Boys are putting the final touches on their upcoming album. Nothing is known about the release aside from Adam Yauch’s suggestion that it may be out this summer (to coincide with a smattering of concert dates the Beasties have set). It’s hard to predict how this record’s sound will go, without even so much as a title at this point. Might we suggest Hip-Hop’s Not Dead, It’s Just Kind of Tired Because Now It Has Kids To Feed? [Billboard.com]
Movies
Woody Allen soon may be spicing things up. Javier Bardem (Collateral, Before Night Falls) told reporters Monday that he and Penelope Cruz are set to appear in a Woody flick that’s set to film this summer in Barcelona. Penelope has the most to gain: if this is good, it can continue the career upswing she’s experiencing, thanks to Volver. But who knows what this project will even be about? Again, we don’t have so much as a title. Might we suggest Anything Else But Another Unfunny Dramedy About White People? [AP/washingtonpost.com]
When you write a psych-pop ditty called "Revolving Dora" about a dervish chick ("there’s something blurry about that girl, oh yeahhhh") you deserve a high-five for wit. Cue applause, then: Fountains of Wayne return to action on April 3 with the rather remarkable Traffic and Weather. After a weekend’s-worth of in-home spinning (or is that revolving?) I’m here to say it sounds great. You know how catchy their stuff is. You know how poignant their barbs can be. Yep, they’ve got it going on again. Heads up to hackysack fiends; one tune’s called "Planet of Weed."
Woody Allen soon may be spicing things up. Javier Bardem (Collateral, Before Night Falls) told reporters Monday that he and Penelope Cruz are set to appear in a Woody flick that’s set to film this summer in Barcelona. Penelope has the most to gain: if this is good, it can continue the career upswing she’s experiencing, thanks to Volver. But who knows what this project will even be about? Again, we don’t have so much as a title. Might we suggest Anything Else But Another Unfunny Dramedy About White People? [
