My hometown prides itself on attracting the likes of Ted Nugent, Randy Travis, and Los Lonely Boys to play its annual Ribfest, a run-of-the-mill Independence Day celebration but with a lot more refined sugar and animal fat than most others of its kind. This year they managed to get Sammy Hagar, Charlie Daniels, and a post-divorce LeAnn Rimes.
What does any of this have to do with CoS? Don’t worry, I’ve got a point to make.
The suburbs can be dire place for a music fan, especially this time of year when the only viable options for many young live music fiends are washed-up rock stars. You’re so close and so far away from great music all at once. There’s so much of it to the point it can be overwhelming. This is where we come into play. We’re here to help you sort things out, to remind you that there’s more to music than the stuff your parents listened to in high school on 8-tracks. You can’t see or hear everything new and exciting, but you can certainly try.
So pour yourself a cold drink, crank up Animal Collective’s “Fireworks” and, well, actually watch some fireworks this weekend. And while you’re at it enjoy the following recap. We’ll be back next week, as always, to keep you up to speed.
— Where would Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood play an unscheduled gig? Where would Gorillaz attempt to recreate Plastic Beach in its entirety? Where could you hear a Muse-Edge collaboration? The answer to all three of these questions is Glastonbury. If you couldn’t make it to England last weekend, don’t worry because we’ve got your back.
— Several Lilith Fair dates were cancelled.
— Matador Records unveiled the lineup for its 21st anniversary celebration.
— More artists joined Zach de la Rocha’s “Sound Strike.”
–Things seem to be looking up for BBC 6.
— Eminem continues to enjoy phenomenal record sales.
— Pete Townshed isn’t totally deaf, at least not yet.
— Kanye West performed his new single “Power” at the BET awards. I don’t censors have had this much fun since The Grammys.
— Kanye West was also accused of plagiarism.
— Jimmy Paige faced similar charges.
–Neither one of these things should come as surprises to anyone, but Courtney Love had another news-worthy meltdown and Trent Reznor‘s up to something on Facebook.
–Remember Rancid? Well, I’m sure you never expected to hear their music in this particular context.
— Andre 3000‘s take on The Beatles’ “All Together Now” dropped. So did a new M.I.A. single called “Teqkilla”.
—Big Boi‘s debut solo effort won’t be out until next week, but enjoy a free mix tape for now.
— Lady GaGa premiered a new song during one of her shows.
— There’s another exciting new Bjork collaboration on the horizon. This time it’s with Antony and the Johnsons.
— Check your newspaper. A new Prince album might be in it.
— Interpol unveiled the artwork and tracklist for their upcoming LP.
— A new Portishead album is in the works, according to Geoff Barrow.
— Los Campesinos! lost their drummer.
— Hip-hop pioneer Rammellzee passed away.
— Chris Coplan shared his thoughts on The Roots‘ How I Got Over (you know, the album with Joanna Newsom).
— Pavement have been going strong on their reunion tour. Read what Ted Maider had to say about their recent Bay Area gig.
— Evan Bright covered The Creators Project.
— Carson O’Shoney interviewed rising singer-songwriter Frank Turner.
— Check out our Third Quarter Music Preview. Three months worth of new music to hear. Think about that.
