Photos: So Many Dynamos [The Note; 08/24/06]

MP3: So Many Dynamos: Search Party

Byrne Recruits Banhart, Bunyan for Carnegie Hall
Plus: Vetiver, CocoRosie, Adem, Alarm Will Sound

The event's initial itinerary includes an evening of songs from Here Lies Love - A Song Cycle, Byrne's new collaboration with Fatboy Slim, based on the life of former Philippines First Lady and footwear fiend Imelda Marcos and the servant who raised her. Also on the agenda: a performance of The Knee Plays (a 1985 theater project created by Byrne and Robert Wilson), a night of nü-folk with Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Vashti Bunyan, CocoRosie, and Adem, and an eclectic closing gig with with Alarm Will Sound, Camille, Haale, and a handful of as-of-yet unannounced artists.

As previously reported, Byrne took part in 826 NYC's Revenge of the Book Eaters benefit last Thursday where, for a mere $15,000, he and Sufjan Stevens joined forces for a cover of Lefty Frizzell's "Saginaw, Michigan". The man gets around! See the story here.

Stream: David Byrne: The Man Who Loved Beer

Ben Folds Preps Rarities Collection, Tour

When Ben Folds isn't detailing the male anatomy on the bathroom walls of Dresden Dolls haters' abodes (see: MySpace blog entry), he's pumping out a rarities collection, touring with an orchestra, planning the follow-up to 2005's Songs for Silverman, and working out the kinks on another live record.

And, um, blogging about vandalizing bathroom walls with wiener drawings. Phew! Looks like Pitchfork will be hanging onto our security deposit this time around.

On October 24, Sony BMG will release supersunnyspeedgraphic, the lp, a collection of Folds songs ganked from rare EPs (Super D, Sunny 16, Speed Graphic, and The Bens EP), B-sides, covers (The Cure's "In Between Days", the Darkness' "Get Your Hands off of My Woman", and Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit"), and film soundtrack appearances. The tracks have been remastered, reworked, and relocated since their original releases. All tweaking went down at Folds' Nashville studio with bassist Jared Reynolds and drummer Lindsay Jamieson.

The piano man will begin recording another album entirely in October, and reportedly feels like "blowing shit up in the studio at the moment." Okay, dude. Folds is also toying with the idea of bringing in 100-piece choirs, using piano only, using eight pianos at once, and maybe utilizing some cheap synthesizers he purchased on eBay.

Early next month, Folds will launch an orchestral tour of Australia. Then it's off to the U.S. for a handful of college town dates and a slot at the Vegoose Festival in Las Vegas. A live recording of the Folds/orchestra pair-up is in the planning stages. [MORE...]

Video: Ben Folds: Jesusland

Andrew Bird Scores Dance
Tours to benefit Chicago Short Film Brigade

While he isn't pulling on his own pair of tights quite yet, Bird, along with fellow musicians Mark Booth and Dave Pavkovic, is rolling with the drama crowd. All three artists will collaborate with Shanahan, providing the soundtrack to the Blackbird project, which will formally premiere at Chicago's the Building Stage on April 12-29, 2007. [MORE...]

MP3: Andrew Bird: A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left

Infinite Mixtape #36: Flying Canyon: "In the Reflection"

They call their music "California doom-folk" and their record label, Soft Abuse, namechecks Alexander "Skip" Spence and David Crosby as points of reference. Yep, we're pretty burned out on hippies too, but separate Jewelled Antler-affiliated Flying Canyon's external trappings from the music they create and their dusky, shifting melodies aren't far removed from the interstellar slowcore of the Galaxie 500/Codeine school.

Yet while free of San Fran's famous hairy-fairy whimsy, this isn't exactly "doom-folk," as pitched: The spare arrangement of "In the Reflection" (opening track from the band's self-titled debut, out October 3)-- a languid kick-and-snare, soft-strummed acoustic, and spectral vocal harmonies-- makes an ethereal backdrop for frontman Cayce Lindner's impressionistic, tranquil lyrics.

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#0036 > Flying Canyon: "In the Reflection"
[from Flying Canyon; Soft Abuse]
Info: [MySpace] | [Soft Abuse]

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// Previously on The Infinite Mixtape:
#0035: Califone: "The Orchids"
#0034: Beach House: "Apple Orchard"
#0033: The Thermals: "A Pillar of Salt"
#0032: Grizzly Bear: "Lullabye"
#0031: Swan Lake: "All Fires"
#0030: Killer Mike: "That's Life"
#0029: Ratatat: "Lex"
#0028: Sally Shapiro: "I'll Be by Your Side"

Razorlight Forced to Postpone U.S. Tour

The London four-piece have postponed three headlining gigs-- Los Angeles' Roxy (August 30), San Francisco's Popscene (August 31), and New York's Bowery Ballroom (September 11)-- and have also called off all Keane-supporting dates for the time being.

A statement from Razorlight's management reads, "Razorlight have been forced to postpone their own headline shows...due to the last minute cancellation of the first part of Keane's U.S. dates. Razorlight were due to support Keane on the first leg of the tour, however the withdrawal of the Keane shows left their own schedule in chaos, forcing the band to drop their own gigs...The band are hugely disappointed that they have to delay their U.S. gigs and are in the process of rescheduling for Dec./Jan. when the band will return for substantial touring."

In the meantime, Razorlight will go forth with the remainder of their jaunt, which kicks off in Japan in late September. At this time, no word has been given regarding the status of the band's Toronto V Fest appearance. [MORE...]

Stream: Razorlight: In the Morning

Video: Scott Walker: "Jesse"

Sigur Ros to Perform Split Sides Soundtrack

But Sigur Rós aren't quite done with Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do-- originally composed and recorded for a project from acclaimed choreographer Merce Cunningham in 2003. The Icelandic quartet will make its way to Miami on February 25 of next year to once again provide the score for Cunningham's dance company's performance of Split Sides, this time as a part of the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts' citywide festival, Merce in Miami. The fest is scheduled to run through February and March 2007. Sigur Rós will play at the city's Ziff Ballet Opera House. [MORE...]

MP3: Sigur Rós: Untitled 4

The Like Young Break Up

MP3: The Like Young: For Money or Love

Rhino Compiles Hardcore Giants for Film Soundtrack
Sorry broheim, no porn here

Video: Bad Brains: Pay to Cum (Live at CBGB)

Master Musicians of Joujouka Cavort With Corgan

Billy Corgan is trying to preserve a legacy. No, not the Smashing Pumpkins' legacy (didn't he already ruin that with MACHINA?), it's the legacy of being the latest celebrity rocker to discover the Master Musicians of Joujouka. Previous fans of the group William S. Burroughs described as "a four thousand-year-old rock 'n roll band" include Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, and jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

Most recently, it was Corgan who took a break from recording the new Pumpkins album to visit the Musicians in Morocco to observe Boujeloud, their annual fertility ritual where a man drapes himself in goat skins to represent the god Pan (or Boujeloud in Joujouka) and the musicians play music to soothe him, scare him, and eventually drive him from the village. According to a press release, the music for this ritual "has several movements which would equate to a symphony or the score of an opera if it were European classical music."

Quipped Corgan, in a recent issue of Spin: "This is the closest any other music comes to rock...in its intensity."

Enter Sub Rosa, the record label responsible for releasing two previous records by the Master Musicians of Joujouka, 1995's Joujouka Black Eyes and 1996's Sufi. From the same sessions with producer Frank Rynne that produced those albums comes Boujeloud, an album-length recording of music from the ritual of the same name. Sub Rosa will release the record September 12, and it will come with an eight-page booklet of explanatory liner notes written by Rynne as well as previously unpublished archival photographs. And if all that wasn't enough, Joujoukans believe that "dancing to this music brings good health and a long life." Who needs the toe wop? Sign me up for the goat dance!
[MORE...]

Stream: The Master Musicians of Joujouka: Various Tracks

Centro-Matic Tour the West

Video: Centro-Matic: Triggers and Trash Heaps

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