Exciting Jane's Addiction News

It is official, Eric Avery is finally ready to make Jane's Addiction whole again (if only for one night). The band has reunited on several occasions, including the recording of 2003's Strays, with different artists filling in on bass. Avery has declined to take part until now. The occasion is the upcoming NME Music Awards (the first to take place in the U.S.) during which the band will be presented the NME Godlike Genius award for their lifetime contributions (not sure if Navarro's stint hosting Rock Star will be included -though I offer no apologies for loving the show). The relationships of the four groundbreaking band mates have been on-and-0ff throughout the years, with each working collaboratively, solo, as well as in other capacities with other bands. You would seriously need a complicated organizational chart or ven diagram to explain it all. Avery had this to say of his decision.

"I have always considered reunions to be a way to make a quick buck, and it sells short my own experience of it the first time around," Avery said in a statement. "The reason I started to even consider this is because it's honoring the past instead of trying to recreate it."

Reuters

The ceremony will be held on April 23 at the Goldenvoice El Rey Theater in L.A. (very appropriate indeed). NME will be offering a live stream of the awards via MySpace.

NME | NME Awards | NME MySpace

Now if I may interject my own commentary. Jane's is a truly special band in so many ways. Personally, they marked a significant transition in my music tastes. In the mid 80's I was something of a Metalneck. I had made the gradual progression from the Bon Jovi's and Cinderella's to the Metallica's and Megadeth's over the previous few years. I played in a band that consisted of bad metal covers and even worse original metal songs.

I credit Jane's Addiction with opening a new awareness and curiosity in me. I will never forget watching MTV and seeing the video for "Mountain Song" one night in the fall of 1988 as I was in my freshman year of high school. It completely blew me away. It was heavy, but it also had this "alternative" vibe, and the video was artsy (for the time). The following weekend I approached a wall of cassettes, my eyes darting back and forth between the "Heavy Metal" and "Alternative" sections in my local Camelot, trying to decide where this band would be found (it was in the "Alternative" section). I stood there for a while trying to decide whether I wanted to jump; this was no easy decision since I would not be able to buy another tape until the following weekend. I probably even put it back and picked it back up several times before finally deciding to plunk down my weekly allowance on Nothing's Shocking.

The album's opening track, "Up the Beach," starts with a repeated bass line as it builds into a soaring track with minimal lyrics. "Here we go... Home" sings Perry Ferrell. I had no idea at the time how true those words would resonate with me. But here I sit some 20 years later (Christ that's a long time) writing about it. I could write a thesis about the rest of the record, the duality of their follow-up, Ritual de lo Habitual, and the ultimate demise of the band as well as the creation and contributions of Lollapalooza until its sad decline and welcomed euthanasia. Instead, I'll leave it at this, Jane's Addiction beautifully combined the anger of punk, the aggression of metal, the technical prowess of art/prog rock and the sensitivity of the day's alternative acts. They also wrote great songs and managed to open at least one mind, though I suspect there are many more.

1% (Jane's Addiction)
I Would For You (Jane's Addiction)
Ocean Size (Nothing's Shocking)
Mountain Song (Nothing's Shocking)
Three Days (Ritual de lo Habitual)
Then She Did (Nothing's Shocking)

This is Music At Its Finest

The Breeders Triumphant Return

The Breeders released two terrific albums and a womnderful EP in the early 90's. What had started as a side project between Kim Deal and Throwing Muses' Tanya Donelly, soon became a critically acclaimed and commercially successful sister act between twins Kim & Kelley Deal. It was disappointing then that we would go almost 10 years before a new album would surface, one that was much more reminiscent of the group's raw 1990 debut Pod, than it's more polished sibling, Last Splash. Fans alike should be grateful that we have only had to wait a mere six years for the latest offering, Mountain Battles (slated for release on April 8). The overall feel of the album is still on the raw coarser side. Still, perhaps it could just as well be described as an unrefined and unpolished reflection of Last Splash. A new track from the album, "Bang On" has been pulsating around the blogosphere for a few weeks now, but the album's opener "Overglazed" is a soaring and spectacular welcome back. Far be it from me to shut the door on the past and future.

Hellbound (1990)
Safari (1991)
Bang On (2008)
It's The Love (2008)

Website | MySpace | 4AD

Bon Iver '(pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose)'

While I am in no way on the cutting edge here, I would be remiss if I did not talk about the incredible debut record, For Emma, Forever Ago, from Justin Vernon (under the pseudonym of Bon Iver). I've seen the name around for a while now, and the record came highly recommended by a friend. It is very seldom that my jaw drops for a debut album, but this is an exception. The album is like an affecting personal diary; sparsely recorded and arranged, it is both stunningly muted and at times gently raging. Do yourself a favor and take a listen if you haven't yet.

Skinny Love
The Wolves (Act I and II)

The vivid and moving video for The Wolves (Act I and II) directed by Matthew Amato

Website | MySpace | Jagjaguwar

Guilty!!!

I have been charged with dereliction of duties with regard to my blogging, and my penance is your reward, or punishment depending on whether you no likee. Prevailing wisdom would seem to suggest that getting shit-canned would free up time for my little hobby, and indeed it has. I have just been too damn lazy. I will try to do better. There are a few records on the horizon that I am mildly excited to tepid about including a Ministry covers record (see track below), a new Breeders record, the new NIN Ghosts I-II-III-IV, a new Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan record, and more that I hope to get around to listening to and gabbing about. Until now, here's a few covers to keep you occupied.

Noun 1. cover song - a recording of a song that was first recorded or made popular by somebody else; "they made a cover of a Beatles' song"

The Afghan Whigs - If There's A Hell Below (We're All Going To Go) (Curtis Mayfield)
Kate Nash - Men's Needs (The Cribs)
Seu Jorge - Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
The Band - Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen)
Ministry - Roadhouse Blues (The Doors)
Mudhoney - You Stupid Asshole (Angry Samoans)
Tift Merritt - Who Loves The Sun (The Velvet Underground)
Bonnie 'Prince" Billy - Am I Demon (Danzig)
Allison Moorer - Dancing Barefoot (Patti Smith)
Flyin' Shoes - Lyle Lovett (Townes Van Zandt)
Where Is My Mind - Yoav (Pixies)
Streets Of Baltimore - Evan Dando (Tompall Glaser)
Dead Flowers - Caitlen Rose (The Rolling Stones)
Computer Age - Sonic Youth (Neil Young)
Say It Right - Bloc Party (Nelly Furtado)
Sea Of Love - Cat Power (Phil Phillips with The Twilights)
Xanadu - Lightspeed Champion (Olivia Newton John)

My Review Of The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

The Gutter Twin officially unleash their epic, Saturnalia, on the public today. Personally, I was intrigued as each new song was posted to their MySpace page, and instantly hooked by the album at first listen, though I still like to give something a couple of weeks before talking much about it. I did not initially care for what have become some of my favorite records, and the opposite can also be said. This falls into neither of those categories. As I said, I was hooked on my initial listen, and had the thing on constant repeat for the first few days. I even forced myself to step away for a few days to clear my mind. Coming back, I only found more to love. This really is one of the strongest releases of Dulli and Lanegan's respective careers.

The dichotomy of Dulli's ethereal highs and Lanegan's deep growl intertwine beautifully on tracks like, "Who Will Lead Us Now" and "Bête Noire." Most of the record is very much band driven, though Dulli still uses sequenced tracks to establish songs like "The Body" and "Each To Each." Clashing egos, and conversely attempts to not step on each others toes, could easily destroy an album like this, but the talent of both men as well as their tendency to lend a hand and collaborate as shown throughout their careers seem to effortlessly bind each song into a seamless, yet diverse piece of art. From the machine gun opening of the bridge in "God's Children" to the delicate "The Body," the driving back beat of "All Misery/Flowers" played over by a soft piano as guitars and effects build the song to a thundering crescendo; the album evolves throughout it's twelve songs without ever dropping off. The lyrics are classic Dulli and Lanegan, placing all of man's vices and egos on display, climaxing with the alluring calamity of the gorgeous "Front Street."

Idle Hands (mp3)
Full Album Stream

The boys are touring the U.S. now through the beginning of April before heading back to Europe of a string of dates to close out the month. Full tour dates are available on the band's website and MySpace.

Website | MySpace

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! Out Today!!! -In Europe

Today marks the European release of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' latest effort, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!. The album is the 14th studio release of a band whose career has been anything but static. While this hasn't always pleased longtime fans, it has, if nothing else, kept the man refreshing and relevant. I wanted to give the record a couple of weeks and plenty of listens before reviewing it, so I decided today was as fitting a day as any.

The album was expected to be, at least somewhat, tinted by Grinderman. While tracks like "Today's Lesson" and "Albert Goes West" sound like a more refined Grinderman, there are the familiar narrative tracks like "Night Of The Lotus Eaters" that hearken back the early days of the Bad Seeds, though in a more muted form. Conway Savage's familiar piano and rapturous organ as well as the searing violin of Warren Ellis are as present as at any time over the past decade. While the album seems to lack the complete cohesiveness of many of the past Bad Seeds' records for me, the record is still quite solid. Whereas many longtime fans find the band's Nocturama record as a definite low point, they will be glad to know that this is no Nocturama.

For American fans that don't want to shell out the extra cash to order the import, the entire album is currently steaming over at MySpace.

Tracks to check out:
Today's Lesson
Albert Goes West
Hold On To Yourself
Jesus Of The Moon

Website | MySpace