Spinner

Northern Exposure: Escalate, 'Where There's Vans, There's Guns' -- Free MP3

Tabassum Siddiqui — 2009-11-24T17:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Northern Exposure, Canada

Characterizing something as "dance music" is always tricky, given that such a signifier can span an entire spectrum of sound, from electro to disco to funk and beyond.

Toronto instrumental quartet Escalate somehow manage to embrace that wide scope in their loose, experimental approach, which runs the gamut from upbeat grooves to chilled-out soul without skipping a beat.

Formed in 2000 by two sets of brothers -- Grant and Tyler Drygas hold down the rhythm section while Shandy and Jordan Kern provide the melodies -- the band foregoes vocals in favour of building dense layers of funky instrumentals that reference jazz, soul, funk, R&B, even a soupçon of Afrobeat.

The Chum Bucket: Music's Foreign Phrases + More

Adam Horne — 2009-11-24T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: The Chum Bucket

Many of us have these songs to thank for teaching us the only non-English phrases we know. [AV Club]

Quit breaking our hearts, DOOM. [The Daily Swarm]

Rolling Stone looks at rock 'n' roll's most crotch-tastic moments. [Rolling Stone]

Things aren't looking so rosy for Chris Brown's comeback attempt. [Idolator]

Massive Attack Reveal New Album Details, Offer Sneak Preview

Julian Marszalek — 2009-11-24T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Electronic, UK

Six years on from the release of their last album, '100th Window,' and just weeks after dropping their new EP, 'Splitting the Atom,' Massive Attack have at last announced the details of their new collection of original material which will feature a slew of guest vocalists.

According to a posting on the band's website, 'Heligoland' is scheduled to be released on Feb. 8 next year and the tracklisting has been confirmed.

Guest vocalists include Tricky collaborator Martina Topley-Bird, Blur and Gorillaz mainman Damon Albarn, TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, ex-Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandoval, Guy Garvey of Elbow and Massive Attack mainstay Horace Andy.

Keys N Krates Reinvent the Remix

Jesse Ship — 2009-11-24T16:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Electronic, You Oughta Know, Canada

Like many once-underground trends, mashups have gone mainstream (see: 'Glee'). But here to give the art form back some cred are Keys N Krates, a Toronto trio who claim to be "reinventing the remix" by merging classic hip-hop and top 40 pop with a live band vibe.

Each member brings an interesting contrast to the group. "I'm a real sample guy," says former battle DJ and DMC champ DJ Jr. Flo. "Matisse is a Soul/R&B singer, so he's all about the melodies and keyboards. He takes things in directions that I never envisioned." The third member is drummer Tune, who has been gigging with Matisse for almost ten years.

Despite their skills, it wasn't easy getting started. There are no ground-rules when it comes to orchestrating a live remix, no guidebooks or pre-carved pathways.

"We had no idea how we were going plan things out. We even started using crazy diagrams and flow charts at one point."

Swell Season Explain 'Strict Joy' Origins

Michael D. Ayers — 2009-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive

Although the Swell Season recently confessed to us that the their new album 'Strict Joy' was written more apart than together, they also took the time to explain to us the meaning behind the seemingly oxymoronic album title. In fact, they borrowed it from James Stephens, whose collection of poems has the same title. However, it turns out they're thinking well beyond than just an homage to their favorite poet.

"The poem is about when you go in and address your sorrow. It's a transformative thing that happens," Swell Season frontman Glen Hansard tells Spinner. "When you pull it out of the inner and give the words voice, there is a weird thing where the coal turns to diamond."

Best Songs of the 2000s

Spinner Staff — 2009-11-24T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: The Hit List

Terms that come up more than once in our list of the best songs of the 2000s: "crazy," "idiot," "falling." That's the decade in a nutshell. Too much crazy-making. Too many people acting like idiots. Too many things (buildings, savings, morale) in free-fall. Appropriately, a majority of the songs that will endure beyond the '00s rallied around a common theme: learning to live like there's no tomorrow. Because you never know.

50. 'I Predict a Riot,' Kaiser Chiefs (2004)

An anthem of anarchy perfectly suited to kick off our list. Things are about to get a bit gory, we tell thee.

49. '1234,' Feist (2007)

Thanks to this Canadian singer-songwriter, teenage hope will now forever be tied to iPods and pastel leotards.

48. 'The Seed (2.0),' The Roots (2002)

Neo-soulman Cody Chesnutt sings the hooky refrain to this reboot of his song 'The Seed,' and the psychedelic garage funk laid down by Illadelph's finest hip-hop band renames it rock 'n' roll.

Lenny Kravitz Celebrates 20 Years of 'Let Love Rule'

Steve Baltin — 2009-11-24T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Yes, 'Let Love Rule,' the album that introduced the world to Lenny Kravitz and made the singer/songwriter/guitarist a star is 20 years old. To commemorate the milestone, Kravitz went back to the beginning to create a deluxe version of the CD. To do so, Kravitz says he had to really look back at 1989. "I had to pay attention to my life at that time," he tells Spinner. "We found a lot of photographs and memorabilia and things that brought me back to 20 years ago. The interesting thing for me was that it still felt fresh, it felt the same. That was really weird."

That the record, which included the monster title song, has remained relevant all these years is a testament to his vision at that time. "I remember saying 'I want to make a record that in 20 years would stand up.' That was the sentence that I said," he says. Now, he's not trying to take credit for being a prophet at the time. "Obviously I couldn't have been thinking 20 years ahead. I wasn't even thinking 20 minutes ahead," he says. "I had no idea I would ever make another record besides that one. I didn't know what was going on. I just knew that there was music inside of me and I wanted to express it."

Angelique Kidjo's 'Oyo' Celebrates a Rich Musical Heritage

Steve Hochman — 2009-11-24T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Around the World

What a playlist! Some African folk songs mixed with the African-American R&B of Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and James Brown. Sidney Bechet and Bollywood. Santana's 'Samba Pa Ti' and a South African lullaby. And it all works together perfectly. It would be tough to find a better mix on any hour of even the most eclectic radio or club DJ set.

But it's on 'Oyo,' the upcoming album from Angélique Kidjo -- due for release in February, though she gave Around the World an early listen and a chance to talk with her about it. The follow-up to the Benin-born star's 2007 contemporary world-music Grammy Award-winning album 'Djin Djin' contains all those things and more. And it's not just an exercise in random eclecticism. This is all music that inspired Kidjo in her youth in Africa to become the artist she is today, and in that regard is a soundtrack for her mission to provide health care and education opportunities for children in Africa and elsewhere in her role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and with her own Batonga Foundation.

Minus the Bear Writing Sunnier Songs for Fourth Album

Justin Jacobs — 2009-11-24T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive

In any other context, lyrics about drinking, sex and exotic places might call to mind, say, the boasts of Lil Wayne or Jay-Z. But draped over twisting grooves and sung without any sense of gloating, Minus the Bear singer Jake Snider's lyrics become a much more relatable escapism.

With his band's still-untitled fourth album set to drop in spring of 2010, Snider is more thankful than ever that music -- once his form of escapism -- actually helped him escape an office job.

"Sitting at a desk is my nightmare. I like exploration, travel, moving away from what ties you down," Snider tells Spinner. "I sold backup libraries for computer networks for three years before the band. It was soul-crushing."

Pixies Bring 'Doolittle' Show to New York City

Ginny Yang — 2009-11-24T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

The Pixies breathed new life into familiar material when they performed all of their 1989 album 'Doolittle,' as well as its related B-sides, last night in New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The seminal alt-rock act produced video footage especially for the set, which they will repeat during three additional shows at the venue over the next two days. The concert kicked off with the tracks 'Dancing the Manta Ray,' 'Weird at My School' and 'Bailey's Walk' with bassist Kim Deal joking that the songs were so rare, the band had to relearn them.

The Pixies then launched into the 20-year-old album, performing 'Doolittle' in its entirety in front of large video screens and giant floating globes (which began to glow red and move across the stage during 'I Bleed'). Deal took on the role of the announcer during the concert, with leader Black Francis (aka Frank Black) and guitarist Joey Santiago stoically playing next to her in all black. "Can't skip any of them!" she said of the album's tracks.

Rolling Stones Photographer Ken Regan Recalls His Time With the Band

Emily Tan — 2009-11-24T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Pop Culture

Photographer Ken Regan promised himself that he would never shoot certain kinds of events. However when Keith Richards asked him to document some big events in his life, Regan just couldn't refuse. "I did Keith Richards' wedding, and the three things I said to myself when I got into photography that I would never do were weddings, bar mitzvahs and babies," Regan said at an event in the Brooklyn Museum on Sunday. "Keith got me to do two of them."

Regan has photographed the Rolling Stones for years -- shooting five of the band's concert tours, Mick Jagger's only solo tour in Japan in 1989, a Richards and Ronnie Woods solo tour, about three music videos and a slew of magazine shoots. Starting with the Stones' 1972 American tour -- also the same time Robert Frank's controversial film 'C---sucker Blues' was filmed, Regan has had many interesting moments with one of the biggest bands in the world.

While many people may prefer Richards over Stones frontman Mick Jagger, Regan saw that he was more than just the band's lead singer. "Mick really is the number one person in the band," Regan said. "Mick was the band leader. He was the organizer. He graduated from the London School of Economics. Every nickel and dollar that is spent on a tour, Mick knows about it."

Steve Vai Discusses His Beekeeping Hobby

Robin Milling — 2009-11-24T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Holy Hell

Hard rocker Steve Vai has a soft side -- he's a beekeeper. The guitar virtuoso happened upon the unlikely honey hobby when a swarm of bees in his neighbor's wall beautified his wife's garden. "I wanted to plant these fruit trees and I did some research and found that honeybees are really a fantastic way to pollinate so I just got a hive," he says. "I called up my local beekeeper and he brought me a wild swarm and I put in a colony."

The bees weren't always so cooperative with Vai who had to learn the hard way how to tame their natural instincts. "You puff a little smoke in the hive and they think there's a forest fire so they gorge themselves on honey and they can't sting you because they can't bend their abdomens," he says. "After a while, you go into the hive they get to know you and it's no problem. Honeybees are actually a lot mellower than you think. I'm the bee whisperer!"

Potent Quotables: Mayer Reflects on Fame

Kim Davis — 2009-11-24T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Potent Quotables

"Famous people make really bad records." --John Mayer

This declaration may seem ironic coming from someone whose on-again-off-again relationship with Jennifer Aniston rivals Brangelina drama for gossip-rag covers, but Mayer insists, "I make music as a musician."

Next Quote

Trent Reznor Unplugs on Neil Young's 'Bridge School' Compilation

John D. Luerssen — 2009-11-24T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, New Releases

Let's face it, Trent Reznor doesn't strip down often. But back in 2006, the Nine Inch Nails brainchild showed up at Neil Young's annual non-profit Bridge School Concert sporting a beard to deliver an extremely rare unplugged set. Now, NIN devotees can load those stripped down approaches to "Fragile" and "Hurt" onto their iPods with today's release of 'Bridge School Collection, Vol. 4' via iTunes.

Aside from Reznor's heartfelt offerings, the compilation also counts live tracks by My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, Death Cab For Cutie, Regina Spector, Norah Jones and Tegan and Sara, who posted the tracklist on their website. Noting that the Bridge School directly benefits children with severe speech and physical challenges, Sara writes that she and Tegan have repeatedly appeared at the concerts over the years and that it is "an absolutely incredible experience. Both professionally and personally."

Attesting to the variety of acts Young has attracted to his Bridge School concerts over the years, 'Vol. 4' also boasts everyone from Ministry -- captured back in 1994 -- to John Mellencamp, Tom Waits & Kronos Quartet, Jerry Lee Lewis, John Mayer and, um, Josh Groban.

They Might Be Giants Get Flashy in Los Angeles

John Linnell — 2009-11-24T12:37:00+00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Guest Blogger

They Might Be Giants have been making music since 1982, a career that includes fourteen studio albums. In 2002, the band released their first children's album and has since recorded three more records for their educational series. The Brooklyn band is currently on tour supporting their latest release, 'Here Comes Science,' and singer John Linnell will be checking in with his thoughts and musings all along the way.

We are frankly astonished at the volume and intensity of our crowds these past few weeks. According to TMBG's booking agent, these are grim times for touring rock bands. The numbers have been low low low for bands that normally sell out in our usual venues around the U.S., and this dire situation has been corroborated by promoters in each city. Yet for some incomprehensible reason we have enjoyed a string of sold-out shows up and down both coasts and across the Midwest. In addition, all of our crowds seem to be hopped up on some kind of wacky dust, and I'm speaking of the children as well as the adults. I'm pretty sure we haven't seen this level of hysteria in the past or I would remember.

Animal Collective Mark End of 'Merriweather' Era With New EP

Kenneth Partridge — 2009-11-24T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive

With the release of its new EP, 'Fall Be Kind,' Animal Collective is clearing the vaults of material recorded during sessions for 'Merriweather Post Pavilion,' one of the most critically fawned-over albums of 2009. In doing so, multi-instrumentalist Dave Portner, aka Avey Tare, says the New York City-via-Baltimore band is closing the book on a "really positive" chapter in its career.

"I think that's why we wanted to put it out at the end of the year," Portner tells Spinner of 'Fall Be Kind,' out now digitally and available next month on CD and vinyl. "It feels like [the songs] all kind of fit together with the touring and the things we've been doing for the last couple of years. It definitely feels like the end of this era."

Mariachi El Bronx's Stage Outfits All About Respect

Matt Glazebrook — 2009-11-24T12:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, UK

The concertgoing couple in zarapes, ten-gallon hats and cowboy boots clearly didn't get the memo; Mariachi El Bronx tread sensitively in their borrowing of Mexican culture. "We don't wear sombreros, which are part of the charro suit, because we're white, and it's disrespectful," explained guitarist Joby Ford before Monday's tour-closing gig at London's Islington Academy, the group's biggest UK show in their Latin-flavored guise. "We would get killed if we f----- around and didn't have respect. People would seriously come and kill us."

Happily, our amiable Euro-vaqueros faced no such danger on a night heavy on good humour and sing-a-longs, despite the gritty traditions of the rebel music invoked onstage. Mariachi El Bronx -- the acoustic, tequila-infused alter-egos of Los Angeles punk bruisers the Bronx -- may be surprised by their UK popularity ("Last night in Oxford I was talking a mom who was into mariachi music and a daughter who likes punk bands," recalled Ford pre-gig. "That's the Bronx, bringing families together!"), but it was easy to see why their euphoric live show has transcended cultural boundaries.

John Fogerty's Legacy Preserved by 'Fortunate Son,' 'Lebowski'

Dan Reilly — 2009-11-24T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Movies, Politics as Usual

When John Fogerty wrote the lyrics to 'Fortunate Son' in 1969, he didn't know how resonant the song would be. In fact, he didn't know if anyone would still care about his music in the near future. "I had no idea what the future would hold," the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman tells Spinner. "I used to tell people 'I'm trying to make records that they'll still play 10 years from now.' That was a very audacious statement because in those days, the rock 'n' roll from 10 years prior was all but ignored."

The song was inspired by President Dwight D. Eisenhower's grandson, David, who married then-President Richard Nixon's daughter, David. Fogerty, who was nearly drafted a few years earlier, knew that the younger Eisenhower wouldn't have to worry about getting involved with Vietnam. "I was very, very passionate about the sentiment in 'Fortunate Son,'" Fogerty says. "Obviously, the sitting president at the time was Richard Nixon, who I once described as an endless source of inspiration -- but it wasn't of a positive type. It was a very heartfelt emotion and it was very easy to write because the thing I was reacting to was all around me."

Little Richard Undergoes Hip Surgery

Michael D. Ayers — 2009-11-24T11:55:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Holy Hell

Even those living legends who still rock are in need of a body tune-up every once in awhile. Little Richard, now 76, is recovering at a Vanderbilt University hospital after undergoing hip surgery. In a post to his official Myspace page, a spokesperson has said that although the surgery was successful, the veteran rocker is still in a lot of pain. "Please be praying for a quick and full recovery. He may have a long road ahead of him (i.e. physiotherapy) because he waited so long to have the surgery."

Little Richard, a long-time born-again Christian, is asking his fans to continue praying for him as he recovers. According to the Associated Press, he plans to resume touring activities in 2010, once his recovery is in full. "He is thankful to the LORD for the blessing of longevity and greatly appreciates the kindness and caring of all of the faithful warriors who have been uplifting him in prayer," the Myspace statement continued.

Band of the Week: The High Wire

Stephen Dowling — 2009-11-24T11:35:00+00:00

Filed under: UK, Band of the Week

Coldplay's Chris Martin, for one, loves them. The High Wire had in fact only been playing as their current line-up for a few weeks when the Coldplay frontman invited them to open for the band at their December 2008 arena shows. That's some baptism of fire.

The High Wire's sound, however, is far removed from the swooping stadium soundtrack of Coldplay. Instead you've got to go right back to the textured, droning guitar of Galaxie 500 or the buzzing, atmospheric soundscapes of Chapterhouse or Slowdive before you can grasp what's going on.

Yes, we are back in the heads-down world of shoegazing. The High Wire are already being tipped as ones to watch in a nascent scene bringing the sound of the early 90s Thames Valley back into venues.