Hey, does anybody read this thing outside of New York? I recently got a mail from one of my favorite NYC bands, D-tuned riff-core masters Goes Cube, who are soon going back out on the road. The trio asked nicely:

We're going to put "Goes Cube Song 50" up on our MySpace page tomorrow. But we're also going to announce some news about our upcoming tour + recording. Would you be able to have the LimeWire Music Blog post "Goes Cube Song 50" and perhaps a snippet of the news?

Let me know, and thanks!

And so, i will! Or just have. Mind you, "tomorrow" was over a week ago at this point, but "Goes Cube Song 50" is on their MySpace page for your listening pleasure. Goes Cube Songs 58-63 are slated to be recorded with producer Dean Baltulonis (Hold Steady, Bouncing Souls, Casualties, Foreign Islands, Sick of it All, etc.). And the tour ships off May 30, with dates listed below.

But since I'm letting you know stuff about Goes Cube, why stop there? If you out there in the hinterlands happen to catch them live, blow their minds by already knowing that:

* Goes Cube are avid bowlers, visiting an alley on each stop of their tours. Drummer Kenny Appell is reportedly the best of the bunch, averaging in the 180s. And you know what they say: a band that bowls together, uh, … I got nothin'.

* There's a photo series on their MySpace page called "Goes Cube Jumping In Front of State Capitols." Yeah, sure, some of them are photoshopped. But most of them aren't.

* Their 10-day, mostly U.S. tour happens to be taking them, for the first time, to a Provincial Capitol, Toronto.

* They're also playing a "Lobsterfest."

Okay, rust belters, rock mavens, people unconcerned with hearing loss and others true to the cause, you know what to do. Here are the dates:


May 30 Pilam Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 31 Brillobox Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jun 1 Sam's Saloon Indianapolis, Indiana
Jun 3 Soggy Dog House Lakewood (Cleveland), Ohio
Jun 4 Reverb at the Big Bop Concert Hall Toronto, Ontario
Jun 5 Double OO Pub Redford, Michigan
Jun 6 Carabar w/ Necropolis Columbus, Ohio
Jun 7 Lobsterfest @ The Union w/ Necropolis Athens, Ohio

 

It looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks. Look at Radiohead, Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails, who’ve come up with creative ways of enticing fans by giving away parts (or even all) of their albums. And now it looks like platinum seller Beck, who’s tapped Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton to produce his still untitled 10-song album (his first release since the single “Timebomb.”), might have something up his sleeve. While Beck’s peeps report “the album's ten tracks vacillate between economy and experimentation, hybrid and pop classicism, while consistently manifesting Beck and Danger Mouse's shared interest in psych-rock, folk, electronic minimalism and orchestration,” the kicker is that Beck’s label, Interscope, has offered a vague release date of “this summer.” Could Beck be planning a stealth release? Maybe.

In the meantime, Mr. Hansen is readying to play his biggest hometown headline show on September 20 at the Hollywood Bowl (tickets go on-sale on May 10) and is prepping for a headlining U.S. tour. Like the release date of his forthcoming album, those tour dates remain a mystery as well.

At 67, music icon Neil Diamond (ask your parents) shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the guitar man/balladeer known for classics like “Sweet Caroline” released his brand new album, Home Before Dark, on Tuesday. Even if you aren’t familiar with his music, take a step back and consider the magnitude of his career: 125 million records sold worldwide, 36 Top 40 hits, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, thousands of sold-out shows all over the globe. Who wouldn’t kill for numbers like these?

In order to promote his new release (his second collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin), Diamond (aka The Jewish Elvis, The Jazz Singer) has been making the rounds on TV shows like American Idol. Tonight he will perform a special free MySpace Secret Show tonight at The Bitter End on Bleeker Street. While Diamond’s NYC show isn’t so secret, his new songs are indeed worth checking out. Not only does Diamond’s voice sound as strong as ever, his new songs (which feature guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benchmont Tench, bassist/guitarist Smokey Hormel and axeman Matt Sweeney) also has a great duet with Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines, “Another Day (That Time Forgot)." What’s next for the songman? A 37-city North American tour, which kicks off on July 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota, of course.

With Republican and Democratic conventions just a few months away, you can bet all of the candidate’s strategy teams have short-listed Diamond’s patriotic anthem “Coming to America” as their campaign theme song.

Who listens to Snoop Dogg these days? I’m not interested in his recent albums or staged reality show, and his music hasn’t been interesting since his brilliant collabo with Dr. Dre on the title track to 1992’s Deep Cover (one eight seven on an undercover cop…yeah, and you don’t stop) soundtrack. But like fellow MC Flavor Flav, Dogg’s somehow been able to embed himself in mainstream America’s psyche, no doubt thanks to his Dogg-speak (fo’ shizzle, my nizzle) which is part of our country’s vernacular.

Snoop continues his life as a marginal caricature by making appearances on One Life to Live this week, when he drops in on the bachlorette party for character Adriana Lord. In addition to engaging in banter with cast (see griping photos) on May 8 and 9, he’ll also perform his latest single, “Sensual Seduction,” and “Life of Da Party” from his ninth album, Ego Trippin’.

Apparently Snoop (who put his own spin on the One Life to Live theme song on the two episodes in which he will appear) is one of many musicians—including Mary J. Blige, Timbaland with Keri Hilson and One Republic, Nelly Furtado, Lifehouse, Simply Red and Erykah Badu—who’ve appeared on the show.

Confusing press gush from Mr. Dee Oh Double Gee: "I've been a fan of One Life to Live since I was a baby. My momma always had it on the tube in the crib growing up. The opportunity to change up the theme song and give it some of my flavor will make the show the Life of the Party."

By Frank Deserto

Just as expected, Nine Inch Nails dropped their brand new record, The Slip, right as the clock struck midnight in L.A. Did you stay up all night against all better judgment just to see what was in store? Am I embarrassed that I did myself? So far, it has been worth it, but don't take my word for it...

This brand new offering is comprised of ten slim tracks (two of which have been released over the course of the two week wait), and can be downloaded in various formats, including better-than-cd-quality .wav files. Again, The Slip is protected under the Creative Commons license, and as a treat for years of loyal fan support, Trent Reznor is offering this record 100% free of charge. No catch!

To wrap up the last bit of Nine Inch Nails news, the band begins presale orders for their upcoming tour this week via nin.com. Take a peek and sign up (also for free) to score choice seats before the uninformed get their crack at it.

Otherwise, happy Cinco de Mayo, ladies and gentlemen...Kick it off right!

I loathe Alicia Keys’ “Falling.” While there are far worse tunes, my personal dislike—no, hatred!—stems from hearing this song one zillion times too many. Given its a capella intro, the song is now the obligatory audition track for every female singer hoping to demonstrate their vocal chops, replacing Jennifer Holliday’s far superior “And I’m Telling You.” To hear “Falling” sung badly so many times has rendered a permanent gash on my psyche.

While I maintain my irrevocable personal feelings toward the song, there’s good news for every aspiring diva: Ms. Keys (who hails from NYC) is looking for a new background singer. Interested vocalists are asked to submit a 30-second or larger video of themselves singing an original a capella to Keys’ MySpace page by May 5 (the winner will be announced on May 15). And don’t even think about sending a clip of yourself singing that dreadful, aforementioned number! Here are the rules: “Qualifications include being a female between the ages 21-30 with R&B/Soul singing experience. Contestant must also have a valid passport, and must be physically fit and able to dance.” Able to dance? How unfair. After all, a lack of moves didn’t stop this 11-time Grammy award winner from becoming a superstar.

By Frank Deserto
Photo Credit: Natalie Kocsis

Three cheers for NYC darlings A Place to Bury Strangers! Though astute readers of this blog may have heard hints and quick quips of the band mentioned across countless back entries, there's an explosion of news and interest surrounding them today, as they've just been confirmed as an opener for Nine Inch Nails' upcoming summer tour. The band was hand-picked alongside Crystal Castles, Deerhunter, White Williams, and Does It Offend You, Yeah, to namedrop the other indie-centric acts slated to support NIN's summer excursions.

That's not to say that A Place to Bury Strangers haven't developed a significant amount of interest beforehand, as several SXSW appearances and opening slots supporting the Jesus and Mary Chain, Battles, Holy Fuck, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre have brought the band to high attention with their fuzzy, aggressive brand of darkwave, brandishing them as "the loudest band in New York." Their intense live performances call to mind the experimentation and electronic pulse of Swans and early Wax Trax! recordings, while their fuzzed out overtones suggest devout worship of My Bloody Valentine and the Telescopes.

In testament to the band's sheer sonic force, they obliterated the amplifiers at Crash Mansion just before my band took the stage, much to our hilarity and chagrin. I can even remember a time long before then when their crowds were sparse, the only attendees being the band's girlfriends, management, and myself, so it's hard not to feel like a proud parent when this Brooklyn based outfit lands gigs such as these. Meanwhile, the band garnered tons of attention for their debut release, 2007's self-titled compilation on Killer Pimp records, which gathers ten of their previously self-released recordings onto disc or vinyl, whichever format you prefer...

In further A Place to Bury Strangers news, the band will take to Europe shortly before they join Nine Inch Nails down south, and a limited boxset of 7'' singles is slated for release in early May via Vacancy Records (I've already preordered mine, and I suggest you do the same). For any devout New York City fan with a little travel money in the bank, the upcoming string of A Place to Bury Strangers tour dates can be found below, along with a live rendition of 'Gimme Acid,' recorded last year at Union Pool. If you look closely, you can see yours truly thrashing away in the front. Was I wearing earplugs? Goodness, no.

5.7.08- London, UK: Barfly
5.8.08- London, UK: The Legion
5.9.08- London, UK: Club NME
5.11.08- Camber Sands, UK: ATP v Pitchfork
5.12.08- London, UK: Sonic Cathedral
5.13.08- London, UK: Madame Jo Jo's
5.15.08- Hull, UK: The Welly
5.16.08- Brighton, UK: The Great Escape Fesitval
5.17.08- Leeds, UK: Nastyfest
5.19.08- Glasgow, Scotland: The Captain's Rest
5.20.08- Nottingham, UK: Sonic Cathedral
5.21.08- Birmingham, UK: Jug of Ale
5.22.08- Luton, UK: Club NME- Sub Club
5.24.08- Paris, France: Noveau Casino
5.26.08- Amsterdam: Paradiso
5.28.08- Brussels- Witloof Bar-Botanique
5.29.08- Barcelona, Spain: Primavera
8.15.08- Oklahoma City, OK: Ford Center
8.16.08- Houston, TX: Toyota Center
8.18.08- Dallas, TX: American Airlines Center
8.20.08- St. Louis, MO: Scottrade Center

“See anything you like?” The other night I was walking along the Bowery when I remembered an invite I received for the opening of Rockers, an exhibit at the Morrison Hotel Gallery (which is housed in the former home to CBGB’s Gallery space) featuring the work of superstar rock photographer Bob Gruen. I missed the opening party by weeks, but I still wanted to check it out.

As I soaked up wonderful images of The Ramones sitting on the G train (with their guitars in shopping bags, mind you), the Sex Pistols mugging for Gruen’s lens, a fantastic live shot of Jimmy Page holding his double-neck Gibson SG in the air and all sorts of iconic images of John Lennon, the New York Dolls, Rolling Stones and The Clash, a salesperson sidled up to me—something I’ve never experienced before in a NYC gallery—and started to chit-chat like a used car salesman. Oh dear. As I nodded my head in approval of whatever he said, my two steps in the opposite direction was quickly followed by the clerk. “Great stuff,” I said rather earnestly. “He definitely captured some great moments in rock history.”

The salesman smiled—perhaps he picked up on my inability to spend $5,000 on a 40 x 50 signed print?—and approached the next customer. Though my comfort factor was diminished by this unexpected interaction, I walked away thinking Gruen isn’t the most technically skilled photographer (some of the gorgeous prints seem a tad out of focus), but his genius lies in his impeccable instinct and knack for being in the right place at the right time at critical moments in rock history. I’m sure even Mr. Salesguy would agree that timing is everything in life.

photos by Bob Gruen

Sorry, ladies and gents. It's been officially confirmed that Lou Reed got hitched to longtime partner Laurie Anderson earlier this month in Colorado.

The two have been together since 1995, which makes me wonder what finally prompted the decision, but hey, why question a good match? A performance artist, Anderson is also one of Reed's most significant collaborators, working closely with him on a stack of projects including his widely misunderstood concept album, The Raven.

The hush-hush hitching took place on April 12th at the home of photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and guests included producer Hal Winer and everyone's favorite TV cop, Richard Belzer. Velvet Underground groupies, you may rest. Your tour ends here.

 

Scarlett Johansson is widely known for her roles Lost In Translation and Match Point. After months of rumors about her upcoming artist album, Rhino has announced that it will release Johansson’s Anywhere I Lay My Head on May 20. The history of actors releasing albums is mostly dismal (yes, I’m looking you, William Shatner!), but there are five good reasons why Johansson’s full-length—which is billed as containing “distinctive vocal interpretations of ten songs by legendary singer-songwriter Tom Waits”—might not suck at all.

1. The album was recorded at Dockside Studio in Louisiana's Canjun country, so it’s gotta be spicy

2. The lone original track, “Song For Jo” (hmm, as in Johansson?), was co-written by TV on the Radio’s David Andrew Sitek, who produced and played on the album.

3. David Bowie lends backing vocals on two tracks, "Falling Down" and "Fannin’ Street." How cool is that?

4. Other guests include Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and multi-instrumentalist Sean Antanaitis from Celebration

5. Anywhere I Lay My Head will be released on vinyl

We’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you about ScarJo singing The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket” in that famous karaoke scene in Lost in Translation.