Kim Deal has announced The Breeders will be putting out a new album in March of 2008.
Their fourth full-length will be titled Mountain Battles and is to be released on 4AD, the label she started out on as
a member of Pixies.
In an interview with Rock Daily, Deal
revealed the band — which now consists of herself, twin sister Kelley,
drummer Jose Medeles and bassist Mando Lopez — has been recording on
and off for the past five years with Steve Albini in Chicago as well as
Erika Sharkey and Manny Nieto in Los Angeles and her Dayton, Ohio,
hometown.
Deal says the new album doesn’t deviate far from the Breeders’ classic sound, though there were more moments of experimentation. I, for one, am already looking forward to it. Hope it impacts like uhm.... a cannonball? :-)
Notice how "fresh" Kim and Kelley still look in this video. A big difference with when I last saw them perform, at Werchter somewhere in the 90s... Word has it drugs and alcohol were involved. Shame!
"Nous avons la tristesse de vous annoncer la disparition de Fred Chichin, des Rita Mitsouko, survenue ce matin, des suites d'un cancer fulgurant qui l'a emporté."
For those whose French is even rustier than mine: Fred Chichin, co-founder and guitarist of les Rita Mitousko, a slightly eccentric and colourful French pop/rock band that, as far as I am concerned, is among the best that France ever produced, died of cancer this morning. Catherine Ringer will have to carry on alone from now on. Still, it probably will never be the same.
But hey... c'est comme ça:
BTW: if you didn't know them (that well), they are definitely worth checking out. Too bad Fred won't live to see the day you all turning into fans.
As a responsible parent, it is probably not a very good idea to be using the F-word in front of my children. And since I am not 100% sure they do not read this blog, I am not going to use it out loud. But you get the picture, right? So: there!
No, not you, dear reader. But you, Yves Leterme, and all you politicians who have put our country in the state it's in today. A state in which a lot of Belgians (like myself) have to explain to the people they know in the French-speaking part as well as abroad, that we are not all short-sighted, self-centered, nationalist bigots who lack any form of historical perspective or solidarity. And I have had it. I am fed up with it.
So cut it out, Yves. Not only do you not have what it takes to get this new government on the rails, you are also not the statesman I want to see running this country in any near or distant future. Your simplistic pre-election propaganda has brought you a lot of votes, that is true. But you knew full well you could never live up to your promises once the elections were over. You do know what that makes you, don't you? What's that, you're saying? You're not alone in this? Of course not, but you are our self-proclaimed future leader. So forgive me if I take the easy shot.
After all, I don't blame the thousands of Flemish men and women who have voted for you. Nor the media who keep feeding them mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows (to use a quote from Trainspotting) and political programme formats who steer away from any form of nuance. No, I blame you. As a politician, you should be dealing with the 'polis': the city (well, in Roman times that was), the state, the nation. Not with your own career, not with the electoral success of your party. But with nation and the people who make the nation. All of them.
That's more easily said than done? Absolutely! Mine is a judgment lacking every little bit of pespective? True! But then why, I wonder, did you make it all sound so simple before the last election day?
Anyway: you have made certain groups in our little country dream out loud of Flemish independence more than they ever have before. And however much in favour I am of good government as you call it, that is just taking it one step too far. To more or less quote Björk (of all people): "I will not let you do that to me". I know: what seeing one video from Later with Jools Holland can lead to...
Judging from what can be read in numerous foreign media, you might think our little country is falling apart. Well, it's not. And if I can help it, it won't. And I am not alone in this opinion... Bert at One Agency, for example, posted this message today:
"I, and many people in Belgium with me, are frustrated with the fact
that our politicians and the traditional media have created the
impression that people in the North and South of our miniscule country
hate each other. This blog wants to prove the opposite: www.ilovebelgians.be. Go check it out and share the love. Power to the people!"
Note: for those of you out there who had doubts whether "België" is even a song title, here's the proof it is:
By the way: it's a song by Het Goede Doel, a Dutch band, in which they express their thoughts on moving from Holland to another country, Belgium being the best option they can think of. And if even the Dutch feel this way...
Note: Unfortunately, the English translation of the song was "Luxemburg (Is there life on Pluto?)" Also, the song is said to refer to the Utrecht café Belgiëon the Oudegracht, famous for its many different kinds of beer. Which sort of puts this thought a bit into a different perspective, I guess. :-D
Radiohead have made a new record. In Rainbows is to be released on 10 October. Albeit on www.radiohead.com only. And what's more: when you proceed to the checkout to pay for the download, the sentence "It's up to you" tells you how much you will be charged. It's the end of the world as we know it for record companies.
Off to La Roche in a couple of hours for the Velomediane or Claude Criquielion Classic tomorrow. 172 km, 24 climbs, a 3300 m height difference to overcome... I have no idea whether I'll even be able to finish this ride. After all, it's the first time I ride a combination of this distance AND stage profile. We'll see. Can't blame it on a lack of preparation at great altitude,though... :-) :
NOTE: This is one of the pictures I should be updating my Flickr account with any time soon. Have been neglecting it for some time now. Perhaps I should cut down on the cycling a bit?
NOTE2: I know: Queen is not the kind of band you want to admit liking in certain circles. But I have always had a soft spot for Freddy and his gang. And having seen his statue in Montreux this summer, my kids are also taking an interest in the band.
They especially seem to like Bicycle Race. I wonder if that's a coincidence...
"Don't stop now." It's a phrase I have been repeating to myself a number of times over the last weeks. Don't stop blogging, even though I have wanted to. The reason? Too much work. "Don't stop now." Don't stop reading, that is. Students' final papers, portfolios and a number of other assignments. That's why it's been awfully quiet on this blog for some time. And it will remain like that for some weeks to come.
Anyway, luckily there is music to keep me going. Like the brand new Crowded House single. "Crowded House? I thought they split up ten years ago?" You're right. But a couple of months ago, they got back together again: Neil Finn on guitars and vocals, Nick Seymour on bass guitar, Mark Hart
on piano and harmony, and new recruit Matt Sherrod on drums. There have already been some gigs, there was a webcast some weeks ago, and now there is a new single. What it's called? Right: Don't Stop Now.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite , "Don't Stop Now" features
the new Crowded House line-up plus a guest appearance on guitar by the
legendary Johnny Marr. It has been announced as "a melodic tour
de force, a hook-filled gem that gets better with every listen." You know what: I tend to agree... Just listen here, and tell me what you think.
On 2nd July, Crowded House will put out 'Time On Earth', their first release in over 10 years. The long-awaited new album contains 14 songs
and, in old Crowded House tradition, the album cover features a Nick
Seymour painting. Something to look forward to. If only because by then, the reading will have been finished...
Note: personally, I think Crowded House have always been underrated, especially by the so-called 'real' rock fans who think minor chords are for softies and who disregard any band that writes songs where melody is more important than riffs. Too bad: because as far as I am concerned, Neil Finn is one of the finest song writers of our times. But you have to be willing to listen with an open mind, of course...
When you put hero N° 1 together with sort-of musical hero N°2, covering one of my favourite songs by Pub's hero N°2, then you get something like this (notice the great bass line - no, not that one):
I know, I'm bringing you old news these days. But hey, I never said this blog was meant to be at the cutting edge of current events...
What makes a website a great website? No, don't answer that. It was more of a rethorical question. Nevertheless, allow me to give you one example of a website I really like at the moment: the Rock Werchter site.
A job well done by Design is Dead, the agency behind it. Great navigation, simple but enjoyable graphics, well-structured... uhm structure. What more do you need? Content? Well, I'd say it's there too. And if anything, you can still listen to the site jukebox...
See you in Werchter! And no, I don't want to read any comments about tickets prices being too high or not. There are other places you can discuss that (albeit in Dutch). :-)
PERSONAL NOTE: Am I forgetting one of the basic rules of blogging here? Allowing comments and answers from readers? In that case: let me know...
SERVICE NOTE: Ever since Andrew Wake started with song titles for posts on Eventualities, I have to admit I'm tempted to try and do the same. It doesn't always work, but Don't Answer Me ( by The Alan Parsons Project - 1984) is one of those adolescence memories you are slightly embarrassed about as you grow up, but still can't quite forget as you get older. Or am I the only one having those?
