Some more music news

Music News about Belle & Sebastian, The Strokes, Melissa Auf der Mar, Beth Orton, Morrissey, Kate Bush, Mojave 3, Th' Faith Healers, Queens of the Stone Age, The Rentals, and Neko Case:

Belle & Sebastian new album

Belle & Sebastian have named their new album 'The Life Pursuit'.

The follow-up to 2003's Mercury-nominated 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' is out on February 6.

The spent the summer in Los Angeles' Sunset Sound studios with Beck producer Tony Hoffer working on the record.

Singer Stuart Murdoch told NME the seven-piece group threw out their regular instruments as part of the writing process for the new album.

He revealed: "The process of making the record has been amazing. The last record had quite a few older songs on it because we were working with Trevor (Horn) and we wanted to give them a proper go with big arrangements. This record is all new songs - 18 of them - so it's all very current. It's us pretty much writing in a circle and writing within the group."

Working titles include 'Song For Sunshine', 'Funny Little Frog', 'Sukie In The Graveyard', 'Another Sunny Day', 'Act Of The Apostle Part I' and 'A White Collared Boy'.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8218

The Strokes confirm album tracks

The Strokes have confirmed the tracks set for inclusion on their eagerly awaited third album, 'First Impressions Of Earth'.

The LP is set to feature 14 songs and is currently scheduled for a January 9 UK release.

The track list for the album is currently unsequenced but The Strokes' 'First Impressions Of Earth' will feature:

'You Only Live Once'
'Juicebox'
'Heart In a Cage'
'Razorblade'
'On the Other Side'
'Vision of Division'
'Ask Me Anything'
'Electricityscape'
'Killing Lies'
'Fear of Sleep'
'Evening Sun'
'Ize of the World'
'15 Minutes'
'Red Light'

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8260

Auf der Maur new album

After releasing her first solo album last year and touring non-stop all year, Melissa Auf der Maur is getting to work on her sophomore effort and bringing in an old friend to lend a hand.

Billy Corgan will write with the Canadian bassist in Chicago. "It's really symbolic for me to have this opportunity with Billy, who is one of my main musical mentors," Auf der Maur tells Rolling Stone.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8271

Beth Orton calls on Sonic Youth

Beth Orton is due to release her fourth studio album 'Comfort Of Strangers' next February.

The 14 track LP was recorded at New York's Sear Sound studio and produced by Sonic Youth guitarist and bassist Jim O'Rourke.

The album features Orton on guitar, piano and harmonica along with O'Rourke on bass, piano and marimba and the esteemed American percussionist Tim Barnes on drums.

'Comfort Of Strangers' is out on general release on February 13th 2006.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8278

Morrissey album release

...further details about his forthcoming album "Ringleader Of The Tormentors".

The singer...is currently mixing the follow up to 'You Are The Quarry' in Rome with producer Tony Visconti...

...speaking about the sessions on his own website, Visconti wrote: "I am two thirds of the way through one of the best albums I've ever worked on, with not only Morrissey at his best, but the plot has twists and turns which somehow involve film composer Ennio Morricone and an Italian children's choir.

"Not only is this a departure in his writing (my opinion) but he has extended his vocal range and has written extended melodies."

'You Are The Quarry' marked Morrissey's first album since 1997's 'Maladjusted' and received a rapturous worldwide reception.

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8282

Kate Bush talks at last

Kate Bush will speak in her first broadcast interview for more than 12 years this Friday (November 4).

The singer, who has been absent from the music scene in recent years, will break her silence in a special interview on BBC Radio 4's Front Row at 7.15pm.

She talks openly about avoiding the media, her frustration at completing her first album - Aerial - in more than 10 years and motherhood.

Bush tells John Wilson: "I'm very opinionated. I'm horrible to work with; I'm so fussy and picky. What's good is that I know what I want. It's when you don't know what you want that you're in trouble.

"There were so many times I thought I wasn't going to have the energy to see it (the album) through. I knew I couldn't go on any longer or it would have killed me. I was so fed up making it."

The reclusive artist reveals that she was only able to make a new album, her first since 'The Red Shoes' in 1993, because she has a studio at home and it was still a struggle to juggle the demands of music and motherhood.

She added: "I wanted to give as much time as I could to my son. I love being with him, he's a lovely little boy and he won't be little for very long. I felt my work could wait whereas his growing up couldn't."

On being a recluse she went on: "I am a private person, but I don't think I'm obsessively so. It's more that I choose to try and have a normal a life as possible. I don't like to live in a glare of publicity.

"My creative process was very time consuming and comes from a very quiet place... people seem to find that weird and strange, but its common sense really."

http://www.music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?nItemID=8280

Mojave 3 news

There's been a dearth of Mojave 3 news to report this year, but thankfully that drought appears to be ending. Neil Halstead has provided Mojave3online.com with a sneak preview MP3 from what will be the new M3 album, due out hopefully around March of next year. Says Neil:

"Trk is called "Big star baby" and will be on the new record. The version I'm sending is a rough version of the tune and is really a moniter mix, but we hope you like it

The record is coming on good now. We have got Victor Van Vugt to mix the record for us. He's worked with Beth Orton, Nick Cave and a few others. The mixes he's done so far sound awesome ( he hasn't mixed big star yet)...way better than the mixes we were doing..were having a few problems in the studio in cornwall. There was a mouse invasion over the summer and we never quite recovered".

Seeing as how it's still an early mix, it's probably premature to review the track in too great depth, but it's a compact, jaunty number that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Out Of Tune - it's certainly poppier than your typical Mojave 3 track.

http://www.chromewaves.net/

Th' Faith Healers Peel Sessions Due

Jessica Suarez reports:

Forget the burning out vs. fading away argument for a second. Some bands just quit the game because they have other things they want to do. British dreamcore four-piece Th' Faith Healers were the first band signed to Too Pure Records, but they split up in 1994 after releasing just two albums and a few singles and EPs.

Calling it quits might have seemed a good idea at the time, as their Krautrock-influenced sound was out of place back in those Britpop-saturated days. Plus, members went on to form Quickspace, photograph the cover of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, and perform tree surgery, among other things. (You know your parents are always prouder to have a surgeon in the family than a musician.)

On November 15, Ba Da Bing! Records will release Th' Faith Healers' Peel Sessions, collecting four previously unreleased sessions recorded between 1992 and 1994 on the legendary DJ's radio show. It features a couple of unlikely cover choices: Abba's "S.O.S." and Badfinger's "Without You".

Th' tracklist:
01 Hippy Hole
02 This Time
03 Reptile Smile
04 S.O.S.
05 My Loser
06 Moona Inna Joona
07 I'm Ready
08 Get the F**k Out Of My Face
09 See Saw
10 Bulkhead
11 Sparklingly Chime
12 Serge
13 Ooh La La
14 Curly Lips
15 New Number Two
16 Without You

* Th' Faith Healers (fan site):
http://homepage.univie.ac.at/horst.prillinger/healers/
* Ba Da Bing!: http://www.badabingrecords.com/

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-11/01.shtml#thfaithhealers

span style="font-weight:bold;">Queens of the Stone Age Prep Live DVD/CD

Caroline Bermudez reports:

Lots of bands have recorded live sets in London: The Carpenters, Billy Ocean, and Kelly Osbourne to name an illustrious few. On November 22, Queens of the Stone Age will join the club with a DVD/CD package entitled Over the Years and Through the Woods.

Filmed during two night of performances at London's Brixton Academy back in August, the two-disc set includes rarities (like early track "The Bronze" and "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died", which was cut from Lullabies to Paralyze), songs from bandleader Josh Homme's side project the Desert Sessions ("I Wanna Make It Wit Chu"
and "Covered in Punk's Blood"), behind the scenes footage, and interviews with the band.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Homme said of "Fun Machine": "It sounds like a circus -- like you won stuff at a carnival. The tapes got lost. Actually, they were just at another studio, but we falsely accused everyone in the world of theft." If you were a member of Sonic Youth or the Brian Jonestown Massacre, you'd accuse everyone of theft, too.

Tracklist:
01 This Lullaby
02 Go With the Flow
03 Feel Good Hit of the Summer
04 The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
05 Regular John
06 Song for the Deaf
07 Avon
08 Little Sister
09 You Can't Quit Me, Baby
10 I Wanna Make It Wit Chu
11 Monsters in the Parasol
12 The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died
13 Mexicola
14 Burn the Witch
15 Covered in Punk's Blood
16 I Think I Lost My Headache
17 Song for the Dead
18 I Never Came
19 No One Knows
20 Long Slow Goodbye
21 The Bronze
22 Better Living Through Chemistry
23 Auto Pilot
24 Precious and Grace
25 First It Giveth
26 You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire
27 How to Handle a Rope
28 Quick and to the Pointless
29 God is in the Radio
30 Hanging Tree

* Queens of the Stone Age: http://www.qotsa.com/

The Rentals Return (Again)

Rob Kleckner reports:

Remember the Rentals? No? You know, that mid-90s one-hit-wonder "Friends of P"? "If you're friends with P / Then you're friends with me"? Still doesn't ring a bell? In that case, you probably won't care about any of this. Unless, of course, you like WEEZER.

Ah, we knew that would grab your attention. See, the Rentals were the side project of former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp, who left after the 1996 =W= album Pinkerton. The band included a revolving cast of characters including actress Maya Rudolph (you know, from "Saturday Night Live") and Petra Haden (formerly of That Dog, currently of the Decemberists). The Rentals put out two LPs, Return of the Rentals in 1995 and Seven More Minutes in 1999. And now they're returning again.

Last week, the band announced their comeback with the launch of their new website, which commemorates the ten-year anniversary of the release of their debut album. (Aren't we all about tenth anniversaries here at Pitchfork today?) The site intends to offer everything you always wanted to know about the Rentals but were afraid to ask. Or something like that.

According to said site, "THE BAND IS CURRENTLY IN LOS ANGELES WRITING, REHEARSING, AND PREPARING TO RECORD THEIR 3rd STUDIO ALBUM." While no definite plans are set for that album, the band hopes to have one on shelves by the end of 2006.

We realize the band hails from 1995, but does the website really have to look that way?!

* The Rentals: http://www.therentals.com/

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-10/31.shtml#rentals

Neko Case Brings the Flood on New Album

Caroline Bermudez reports:

Sitting in a bar at three AM with other lonely souls. Taking an unfamiliar detour and winding up frighteningly lost. Nursing heartbreak under moonlight-- Neko Case's voice was made for these scenarios. The flame-haired songstress is alt-country's dark heart, the wild woman who has seen too much and will never completely reveal herself to you.

We'll get another crack at her mysteries come March 7, 2006, when Anti- will release Case's fifth solo album, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood. Produced by Case and longtime associate Darryl Neudorf, the album features a number of her previous partners in noir-drenched crime, including fellow chanteuse Kelly Hogan, country-garage rockers the Sadies, Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, and Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino. Rachel Flotard of Seattle pop-punks Visqueen, former Flat Duo Jet Dexter Romweber, and the legendary Garth Hudson of The Band also appear. Maybe they should have just gone ahead and called this album We Are the Alt-Country World.

The album apparently blends 60s pop sheen with Case's trademark lugubrious country sound. Says Case about Fox: "I recorded the album intermittently over the past couple years. With each record, you think you've figured it out, but once you get into the studio, you realize there's always more to learn. But I feel like we managed to get all my ideas to tape." She added, "I feel really good about this album." But really, who is going to admit that they feel bad about their upcoming album?

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-10/27.shtml#nekocase