Author Archives: robert duffy

Pitchfork tellin’ us that the new Strokes album is coming out on October 21. We love them and so should you, indie snobs!

Also from the Fork:

The Strokes will play a series of club dates before the new album’s release, followed by a month-long Tuesday night residency on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and will cap off the year with a full tour of North America and Europe. (full story)

Me and Charlie Tokyo drove out to Detroit last year to see a great White Stripes/Strokes double bill. We shared the same bed that night, but that’s an altogether different story.

A LOT:

A new Johnny Cash box set collecting more than 100 outtakes from the country legend’s work over the past decade with Rick Rubin is being prepared by the celebrated producer for a possible Christmas release through American/Lost Highway.

Tentatively titled “Unearthed,” the collection will most likely span five discs, four of which will be composed entirely of previously unreleased material, Rubin reveals to Billboard.com. The fifth disc would be a compilation of tracks highlighting past four Cash studio albums, each recorded and produced by Rubin for his American Recordings label. (full story)

I will buy this.

The waiting is over – from 6pm (UK time) , Friday 14th August you will be able to hear the brand new Travis single “Re-Offender” in full, exclusively, as always, on www.travisonline.com

Earlier today I was examining the packaging of the amazing new album by The Sleepy Jackson when I noticed something I had previously overlooked. Instead of artwork behind the part of the jewel case where the CD snaps into, there is this lengthy warning:

Thank you for buying this music and for supporting the artists, songwriters, musicians and others who’ve created it and made it possible.

Please remember that this recording and artwork are protected by copyright law. Since you don’t own the copyright, it’s not yours to distribute. Please don’t use Internet services that promote the illegal distribution of copyrighted music, give away illegal copies of discs or lend discs to others for copying. It’s hurting the artists who created the music. It has the same effect as stealing a disc from a store without paying for it.

I thought the funniest part was when they told me not to use internet services that promote illegal distribution. The whole message reaks of talk-down babytalk.

Has anyone else seen this message on other Astralwerks/EMI albums? Tell us about it here.

“Some of the songs have a bit more of a Pavement feeling, something that never really came across much on the first record. Saying that, it’s much heavier now with Hamish [Rosser, drums] and Ryan [Griffiths, guitar] playing, there’s much more of a Van Halen influence.” (full story)

Pavement and Van Halen influences? Save me, space ship. I want to flee.

Tick tick tick:

The Pearl Jam Bootlegs from the second leg of the North American tour will only be available for individual sale at pearljambootlegs.com until August 20, 2003. The full sets from each of the three tour legs will be available (Australia/Japan, North America Leg 1, North America Leg 2) through the end of August, 2003. Beginning September 1, 2003, the Pearl Jam Bootlegs sold at pearljambootlegs.com will no longer be available.

Gobble ’em up before they’re gone!

True or not, it makes me laugh.

[found via fimoculous]

Our lady on the scene, Danica Johnson, reports from the amazing Midwest Music Festival. Read her review here. Sounds like it was a great time!

I mean, the store is called Best Buy.

A group of independent music retailers has filed a class-action lawsuit against Best Buy Co. Inc., alleging that the chain violates U.S. antitrust laws, as well as California state laws, that govern loss-leader selling, the strategy of pricing product below cost.

In the lawsuit — filed Aug. 6 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division — the plaintiffs charge that Best Buy uses its clout to receive benefits from the major labels that are not generally available to the chain’s competitors. The plaintiffs in the case are Mad Rhino, Boo Boo Records, Lou’s Records, Dimple Records and Rand Foster of Fingerprints. (full story)

You know, if I were to just tell someone I was going to Mad Rhino to buy the latest Yo La Tengo CD, people wouldn’t blink. But when “Mad Rhino, Boo Boo Records, Lou’s Records, Dimple Records” are all referenced in a lawsuit, it just puts a smile to my face. I imagine the Looney Tunes characters trying the case in court.

Yo, I really should go to this.

Check out the line-up so far.

CMJ is hitting New York October 22-25. So many bands for me to love.