Kurt Cobain: About a Son Coming to DVD

In his review of the soundtrack to Kurt Cobain: About a Son, our own Chris Dahlen wrote that AJ Schnack's documentary "has the uncanny effect of making its subject seem like he's still alive." It's true. By combining audio of early 90s Cobain interviews conducted by journalist Michael Azerrad with visuals of the present-day Pacific Northwest, the film presents Cobain in a late-00s context. The people and places Cobain discusses in the film are still around: depressed logging communities, idyllic Olympia, cosmopolitan Seattle. Kurt hated them all, and he probably still would.

Here's one thing I took from About a Son: Kurt Cobain was kind of a jerk. He talks about despising people just from the way they look and how when he's on tour he just wants to sit by himself in a corner rather than talk to people. He talks about how angry he's gotten with his bandmates over songwriting credits. How if he ever loses his family and his money, he's going to seek out bloody revenge on those who have wronged him. Not exactly the kind of guy I'd really want to hang out with.

I understand that he was in a lot of pain; that certainly comes through in the film. But About a Son did a lot of damage to my teenage idealization of Cobain as a saintly fighter of the good fight, cut down in his prime by evil mainstream corporate America (the very channels through which people like me first heard Nirvana, of course.)

For somebody like me who grew up idolizing and obsessing over Cobain, About a Son is eye-opening and heart-breaking. It humanizes him in ways that his music, performances, and videos never could. Sure, most sane, rational adults realize that every rock star is also a real person. But when you spend years fascinated with the mystique, it's sometimes difficult to come to terms with that realization.

So basically what I'm saying is if you want your childhood dreams shattered, go see About a Son. (Kidding.) But really, it's an essential movie for Nirvana fans. (For people who don't care about Nirvana, I'd recommend steering clear.)

On February 19, just one day before what would have been Kurt Cobain's 41^st birthday, Shout! Factory will release the film on DVD. It includes commentary by director Schnack and the features "The Voices Behind About a Son" and "On Location: Scouting Video to Scene Comparison".

White Stripes Do Spanish Version of "Conquest" Single

Viva Las Rayas Blancas! Viva rock'n'roll! Say hello to "Conquista", the latest single from Las Rayas Blancas, better known to us English-speaking sorts as the White Stripes.

Wait a second. Didn't the Stripes have a single with an awfully similar name not too long ago? Well, yep. But this is different: "Conquista" features Jack crooning the Patti Page classic en español, a muy bien idea if you ask me. The single, in both CD and vinyl form, hits the States February 19 from Third Man/Warner Brothers, though you may have a bit of a time finding it in the usual spots, as the disc will indeed be credited to Las Rayas Blancas. Record store employees of the world, shelf this one responsibly.

The two-track single contains "Conquista" backed by "Conquest (Versión Acústica De Mariachi)", which we're pretty sure means it's acoustic and features a mariachi band.

A Spanish language version of the totally awesome Diane Martel-directed video for the tune will premiere on the music video channel mun2 Thursday, February 7, along with an interview with Jack.

In other news from the Stripes, there's an old sample driving them a bit loco lately, an appearance in alta definición February 22, and a potentially excellente collaboration between Mr. White and Mr. Dylan in the works. Alas, no live dates are in the works appear to be in the works at the moment. Qué malo! Okay, okay, silencio. The Raconteurs are playing Coachella and Bonnaroo, though.

The Breeders Announce Mountain of New Dates

When it comes to getting reacquainted, the beginning is the hardest part. And since the Breeders announced their first tour in, like, forever almost a month ago, it's nothing for Kim Deal and co. to keep adding shows, which is just what they've done.

While most of the Breeders' previously reported dates were in the UK and Ireland, the majority of their new shows are post-Coachella North American dates.

All of these concerts are in support of the release of the Breeders' fourth album, Mountain Battles. The record comes out April 8 via 4AD (April 7 in the UK). And the cover looks pretty sweet. [MORE...]

The Twilight Sad Schedule Tour

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Autumns and Winters are on their way out, and for the Twilight Sad, spring's where it's at. After a one-off later this month, the saga-recounting Scotsmen with the oversized sound have a quick little late-March swing around the UK to attend to before, uh, doing whatever the Twilight Sad do when they're not touring.

Yearning, probably. [MORE...]

Jesu/Fog Members, Marnie Stern, Tunng Do Singles Club

Singles clubs: great for music, bad for hygiene. Why? Well, when you can make one easy online payment and be set for sevens or twelves for a whole damn year, there's really no need to go out in public to buy the things. And, hence, no reason to bathe. Need we connect the dots between bathing and hygiene?

While you ponder that one, let's extend a warm welcome to the new club on the block: Hidden Hive Recordings' Kissing Kin 7" series.

The newly inaugurated series will launch later this month with the release of the first of six split singles, which pairs adventurous London act Tunng with Brooklyn's own Stars Like Fleas. Future installments will see the likes of Marnie Stern, Le Loup, Essie Jain, Slowblow, Cap Pas Cap, Silvarco, and more. Plus we can look forward to a special collaboration between members of 2007 tourmates Jesu and Fog. Now there's something to raise a stink about!

Singles are limited to 300 copies apiece and Hidden Hive intends to ship a new one every six to eight weeks. The tracklists for the first four singles are available below.

What's more, the Kissing Kin series will feature unique, limited edition artwork in print-form from visual renderers of note. Artists confirmed thus far include Iker Spozio, Chris Summerlin, Jeremiah Maddock, Aaron Horkey & Wes Winship, and Alison Dexter. [MORE...]

Jamie Lidell Reveals Jim's First Single, Tour

On his last album, Jamie Lidell sang proudly of his ability to "take a trip and Multiply." Would that his feats of travel-induced duplication were actual and not metaphorical, we might have more than a half-dozen tour dates to report from the soul man. Still, the minute Jamie stops being one-of-a-kind, he'd hardly be the Jamie we know and love anymore, right? Besides, if it turned out anything like that movie Multiplicity, it would totally suck.

Backed by his new band, the one and only Jamie will show off all the nooks and crannies of the forthcoming Jim, which sees release April 28 in the UK and April 29 in the U.S. on Warp. And the tour's about to multiply too, as Jamie promises U.S. dates to follow in May and June, with Euro dates in the works as well.

Warp will issue a single for "Little Bit of Feel Good", that nifty ditty you saw Jamie jammin' on in the studio, on April 14 in the UK. Lidell's appearance on Nigel Godrich's "From the Basement" TV show (along with Beck and Jarvis Cocker) hits U.S. airwaves via Rave HD March 7. [MORE...]

Shout Out Louds Issue New EP, Add Dates

You can almost hear it coming: another yelp from the swingin' Swedes in the Shout Out Louds. Merge Records will issue an EP for "Impossible"-- lifted from last year's fine Our Ill Wills LP-- April 8. It sports snazzy remixes of the tune by the Studio (as seen here) and Van Rivers & Subliminal Kid, as well as a live version of "Hard Rain" and a seasonally curious B-side entitled "December". What's more, the disc will also include a video of the album version of "Impossible" directed by SOL bassist Ted Malmros. This video right here, in fact.

Come March, the band will hit the States for a spell, with appearances at Langerado, South by Southwest, and the city that (due to jetlag, perhaps) never sleeps. They'll put in a few more European/UK dates-- including several with the Brunettes-- before returning in late April for Coachella. [MORE...]

Nadja Have Another Album Coming Out, Tour Dates
We could just make this a permanent feature of the site

With the hundreds of Nadja albums being produced every day, it may be hard to know where to start. Desire in Uneasiness-- the most recent, for the next eight minutes or so-- seems as good a place as any, marching though it does to a very different drummer than its predecessors.

Indeed, the addition of any drummer at all makes Desire a little different for Nadja's Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff. The droney Toronto duo employed a real live drummer this time out, adding even more depth to their strikingly lush soundscapes. The resulting disc, packed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, will arrive from Crucial Blast April 8.

Of course there are a half dozen other Nadja releases in queue, including some reworkings of classic Nadja CD-Rs. No, seriously: the Tümpsia split 12" (Accident Prone), Trembled 12" (Volubilis), Thaumogenesis (Level Plane) and Corrasion (Foreshadow) double twelves, and Skin Turns to Glass LP (The End) all await, as does a collaborative CD/LP with Black Boned Angel (20 Buck Spin).

Finally, Nadja have a few scattered live engagements over the coming months, with a stop at SXSW at least one Pitchfork news staffer can't shut up about. [MORE...]

MCA Launches Film Company, Beasties Play Benefit

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Beastie Boy MCA, aka Adam Yauch, is launching his own independent film distribution company in collaboration with former ThinkFilm VP (and Awesome! I Fuckin' Shot That! partner) David Fenkel and (fellow former ThinkFilm employee) Dan Berger, according to a Reuters report.

A branch of Yauch's music and film production company Oscilloscope Laboratories, Oscilloscope Pictures will "acquire narrative and documentary features from festivals for release in the U.S. and provide funds to complete and release unfinished films," reports Reuters. The company will handle the theatrical distribution and marketing of its films. And since the company is self-financed, Yauch is looking at a business model in which filmmakers share some of the financial risk.

According to Reuters, Yauch plans to release anywhere from two to 10 films in Oscilloscope Pictures' first year. Its first movie will make its way to theaters this summer.

On the musical end of things, the Beastie Boys will perform at New York City's Terminal 5 on March 4 at a benefit show for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function. The Institute, which was co-founded by Dr. Oliver Sacks, specializes in music therapy treatment and research. IMNF board member Moby will host the benefit. [MORE...]

Monotonix Do Drag City EP, Huge North American Tour

The last time the gnarly Tel Aviv rockers of Monotonix made it to the States on tour, they packed in a little more than the usual shows and burritos and sleeping on floors. They met up with the folks at Drag City, who'll release Body Language, a new EP recorded in San Francisco by the Fucking Champs' Tim Green during the same trip abroad.

Drag City will release the Body Language disc April 22, just as Monotonix are about to wrap the truly gargantuan North American tour they'll embark on later this month. First, however, they have a few gigs around Israel.

In other Monotonix news, their entry in the Volcom singles club-- a split 7" with RTX-- is due in June. [MORE...]

Photos: Robyn [New York, NY; 02/05/08]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

It was a night some three years in the making. Ever since Pitchfork first laid ears upon the sublime, self-titled pop cocktail of hooks, charm, and attitude that is Robyn, we've been thinking of nothing but that special Swedish lady. And mere hours ago, at long last, she was here.

Last night's performance at New York City's Highline Ballroom marked Robyn's first Stateside live appearance in who knows how long, and hopefully the first of many more. At the very least, it will be the first of a few: Robyn heads to San Francisco tomorrow night, graces the Los Angeles area with her infectious stylings this coming weekend, and hits Austin in March for some kind of festive happening.

U.S. audiences will finally finally finally get to scoop up a non-import copy of Robyn later this year, while we can content ourselves until then with the American edition of The Rakamonie EP that dropped last month. Both come our way courtesy of Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope.

Scope more photos below, and catch some video action and some words on the show from Pitchfork's Marc Hogan over in Forkcast.

ROBYN





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Name Missy Elliott's New Album
Surely you can come up with something better than "Miss E... So Addictive"

She may have just thoroughly confused us with the 3-D video for "Ching-A-Ling", but Missy Elliott nonetheless needs our help. The queen of out-there rap&B is getting ready to release her seventh full-length, the follow-up to 2005's The Cookbook, and she's holding a contest to decide what to call it.

To enter the contest, hop on over to Missy's site, and fill out the form on the front page. The contest ends February 20, and the winner will be announced March 2. In addition to naming the album, the winner will receive credit in the liner notes and a $500 "Respect Me" Adidas gift card.

Other than "Ching-A-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom" (which also appear on the Step Up 2 the Streets soundtrack), no song titles for the new album are known right now. Missy is prepping the record for a spring release.

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)