2005

Columbia Records is set to release Suspicious Activity?, a genre-smashing new collection of original music from The Bad Plus, on Tuesday, September 20.

Suspicious Activity? is the first new Bad Plus studio album since the critically-acclaimed Give (released March 2004) and the first new Bad Plus release since the group’s internet-only eight-song concert collection Blunt Object Live In Tokyo (released March 2005). (The Bad Plus may also be heard performing its original composition, “Big Eater,” on the compilation album, Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004 [Live].)

In celebration of the release of Suspicious Activity?, the Bad Plus will return to New York City to perform an historic six night run at the fabled Village Vanguard from September 20 – September 25.

Tracks on Suspicious Activity? include ten new tracks including original compositions by each of the group’s members as well as a radical and mind-blowing take on the triumphal “(Theme from) Chariots Of Fire.”

Thumbsucker features previously unreleased music from Elliott Smith, who died before he could complete the film soundtrack. Smith’s contributions are the original “Let’s Get Lost,” as well as his versions of Cat Stevens’ “Trouble” and Big Star’s “Thirteen.”
Director Mike Mills spent six years working on the film, the story — based on Walter Kirn’s acclaimed, darkly comic novel about Eighties suburbia — of a thumbsucking seventeen-year-old, played by newcomer Lou Pucci. The movie also stars Tilda Swinton, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vince Vaughn and Keanu Reeves. Mills, who has directed live DVDs for Moby and Pulp, worked closely with Smith up until the singer-songwriter’s untimely death from self-inflicted stab wounds in October 2003.

“I saw him five days before, and he’d just finished the cover of ‘Trouble’ for us,” Mills says. “It’s one of the last things he must’ve done. It’s just sad . . . He’s a huge hero of mine.”

After Smith’s passing, symphonic choral rockers the Polyphonic Spree, who performed at the film’s Los Angeles premiere last week, stepped in to complete the soundtrack. “I think we were all sensitive to honoring Elliott’s memory,” says frontman Tim DeLaughter. “All we had were the three songs, and obviously it wasn’t enough music. I think Elliott’s single vocal and the choir really complement each other. It’s very emotionally charged.”

The Thumbsucker soundtrack will be in stores Tuesday, while the film opens in select New York and Los Angeles theaters on Friday.

Source rollingstone.com.

Jazz legend John Coltrane’s oft-bootlegged 1965 performances at New York’s Half Note will be given their first authorized release next month. Due Oct. 11 via Impulse!, “One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note” is sourced from the late Coltrane’s own master tapes and produced by his son, Ravi.

The material here was recorded at March 26 and May 7, 1965, shows, with Coltrane backed by pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones. Of particular note is a nearly 28-minute version of “One Down, Own Up” that has long been said to be one Coltrane’s most impressive live improvisations.

The album is another fall boon for jazz collectors, coming a few weeks after the Sept. 27 release of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane’s “At Carnegie Hall.” As previously reported, the Blue Note set chronicles a previously unreleased 1957 performance at Carnegie Hall by the two acts, who only worked together for six months.

Here is the track list for “One Down, One Up”:

Disc one:
Introductions and Announcements
“One Down, One Up”
Announcements
“Afro Blue”

Disc two:
Introductions and Announcements
“Song of Praise”
Announcements
“My Favorite Things”

Source billboard.com.

Seven days after its lease expired, legendary New York rock club CBGB received an eviction notice from its landlord — a move the club’s owner predicted yesterday (Sept. 8) would move the bitter fight over the venue’s future into the courtroom.

“This was expected,” said CBGB owner Hilly Kristal. “We were hoping it would come. Now it becomes a court battle.”

The eviction notice was served Wednesday evening. The building landlord, the nonprofit homeless advocacy group the Bowery Resident’s Committee, reiterated its call for CBGB to “vacate the premises both voluntarily and expeditiously.”

BRC executive director Muzzy Rosenblatt confirmed the eviction notice was served, but declined to comment further.

Just hours before the club’s lease expired at midnight on Aug. 31, the BRC announced it would not renew the agreement after a five-year fight over the monthly $19,000 rent. The BRC, which holds a 45-year lease on the building, houses 250 homeless people above the club. CBGB is its lone commercial tenant.

Through it all, CBGB has vowed to remain open and has shows scheduled throughout September.

Source billboard.com.

Def Jam president/CEO Jay-Z is not resting on his laurels. The artist tells Billboard he is mulling the creation of the label Def Jam Left, which he describes as “an artist-driven label with very low deals so people are not pressured by first-week SoundScan [sales], so we can build artists.” Jay-Z is also hoping to make the Roots the first signee to the imprint.

“I’m talking to the Roots right now,” he adds. “I’m confident to put out there that we might make this happen. The label would probably begin at the top of the year, but I hope to have the Roots signed by the time they get off their international tour.”

In late April, Roots drummer ?uestlove told Billboard.com the group was about 60% finished with a new album, “Game Theory.” The set is tipped to feature a collaboration with Black Star’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli called “Where I Come” and another song with just Mos Def, “Workin’ on It.” The Roots were previously signed to MCA and then Geffen.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z admits he is wrestling with whether to remain retired as an artist. His last studio set was 2003’s “The Black Album,” but he has since popped up on occasion as a guest on songs by Kanye West and Young Jeezy, among others.

“You all are hearing things from me — you just haven’t heard an album,” he says. “Who knows? I’m still going in the studio, getting on remixes and things like that. But it’s the people. When people want something bad enough, it happens. And they want it bad (laughs). I’m trying to hold out, but I don’t know how long I can.”

Source billboard.com.

Death Cab for Cutie has announced initial details of a special benefit concert to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. Slated for Wednesday, September 21st at Seattle’s the Showbox, the show will see the band joined by fellow Seattleites Harvey Danger, along with other as-yet-unannounced artists. Tickets for the benefit concert are scheduled to go on sale on Friday, September 9th at 10AM PST.

After heralding the release of “PLANS” with a number of summer concerts – including a sold-out performance at New York City’s Central Park Summerstage – Death Cab for Cutie are poised to hit the road for an extensive North American tour. The trek will kick off on October 3rd and 4th with a two night stand at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, culminating seven weeks later with a pair of sold-out hometown dates at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre on November 18th and 19th (see attached itinerary). In addition, September 24th will see the quartet getting ready for the tour with a performance at Austin, Texas’ annual Austin City Limits Festival. The band will make its national television debut for “PLANS” with a performance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” on September 27th.