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According to Nicole Atkins‘ Twitter, the New Jersey singer/songwriter has signed to Razor & Tie records. No other specs at the moment.
This must be a relief for Atkins, who seven months ago told McCarthy’s Media Menace her and her band, the Black Sea, were in talks with an “indie with major resources” to release her upcoming album, still unofficially titled, Mondo Amore. Sensing a jinx if she went any further, she decided to leave it at that. It’s probably safe to assume Razor & Tie was the mystery label all along, seeing as it enjoys major-label distribution through Sony’s RED Music.
Sony sound familiar? That’s because Columbia Records, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, dropped Atkins last year when the two parties couldn’t come to terms on the direction of the new songs.
Contra cover art
When Vampire Weekend formally debuted a new track from its upcoming album in March on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, it was only a matter of time until they formally announced a new album. Shortly after playing “White Sky,” a song the band had included in some of their live shows, Fallon asked frontman Ezra Koenig when we could expect the next record. “Hopefully fall,” he replied.
So yesterday on VW’s MySpace, the quartet delivered the news fans have been waiting for: Album #2 is on its way. Except in typical music industry fashion, it’ll drop months after the original ETA. Contra, looking eerily (OK, maybe not eerily) similar to the self-titled debut, text and all, will hit stores Jan. 12, 2010 and feature 10 tracks, including the aforementioned “White Sky.”
Check out one of the other new tracks, “Cousins,” performed live in Copenhagen:
Nicole Atkins
A few months ago, I laid out a bunch of updates/things you had to know about Nicole Atkins and her long-awaited sophomore album. Instead of going into a big long story, I simply numbered and rattled off a slew of updates, which is what I’m going to do here because there’s just too many happenings. So, without further ado…
1. It’s no longer Nicole Atkins and the Sea; it’s Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea. This one is fairly obvious because like I said before…
2. …there’s a completely new lineup. In the other update, I wasn’t 100 percent sure about who had joined the band. That appears to have been cleared up by the MySpace page. The newbies are Bradley York (guitar), Anthony Chick (bass) and Chris Donofrio (drums), all courtesy of the band Sikamor Rooney. There’s also someone named Eytan, but I’m not sure what he does (probably keys?) or from where he came. My only guess is that he’s replacing the one and only Dan “Cashmere” Chen.
3. If you’re curious to hear how the new band sounds recorded, check out the haunting cover of Michael Jackson’s “Ben.”
4. If you’re curious to hear how the new band is shaping the epic track “The Tower,” which Atkins debuted at Austin City Limits Festival with her old band one year ago, head over to her MySpace. A recent live version is currently the very top track.
5. I’ve looked up and down to see where I heard this, and I finally found it on a June 29 posting on Facebook.
“excited to finish the new demo of “i wait for you” shit is sounding heeeeaaavy.”
That’s pretty neat, considering this track has become a live staple since early 2008 and there’s been little mention of it in regards to the new record. This seems to affirm it will be on the new record. Check out Dave Cromwell’s Aug. 6 video of the song with the Black Sea:
It’s difficult to tell from this video, but the track appears to be lacking the grand orchestration Cashmere provided in the earlier versions.
6. Also, if you’re interested in more video from that show, check out these professional-looking clips on Vimeo, including “The Tower” and “Hotel Plaster.” One is a new track I haven’t heard before, “Heavy Boots.”
7. Ms. Atkins is no longer with Columbia Records. I heard this a little while back, and here’s the official announcement from her blog (where you can find a lot of this info):
“as most of you have probably read columbia and i have parted ways. don’t fret, nothing terrible happened. i really enjoyed releasing neptune city with them and all of the help with touring and promo that they gave me. i learned a lot and am definitely grateful for the doors that they opened for me with my career. they gave me a great jumpoff and tis only the beginning. in the end, we just were not a good fit anymore. regardless, the record is ready to be recorded. we are talking to a few good labels that i really like and respect and will have some news to report to you guys shortly on that front so hang tight bunnies.”
From what I can gather, Columbia just wasn’t getting the job done. Apparently, turnover at the label was/is pretty rampant, making it difficult to get going on something (i.e. making an album). The Raveonettes also left the label for similar reasons a couple years ago.
So there you have it. Updates aplenty. In the meantime, the band is touring this fall. Here are the dates:
September
19 – New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall
October
18 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
20 – Iowa City, Iowa @ Englert Theater
21 – Madison, Wisc. @ The Barrymore Theater
22 – Urbana, Ill. @ The Canopy Club
24 – Chicago, Ill. @ Subterranean
26 - Cleveland, Ohio @ Beachland Tavern
27 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Club Cafe
29 – Huntington, W. Va. @ Keith Albee Theatre
30 – Louisville, Ky. @ Louisville Palace
31 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
November
2 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Snug Harbor
Sharin and Sune in bubble heaven
Yes, my blog visits have almost flatlined. No, I’m not dead… yet. Just looking for work and failing miserably.
Anyways, as a McCarthy’s Media Menace favorite, I thought I should update you on some important Raveonettes news. The band released the first single from the forthcoming album, In and Out Of Control (released Oct. 6 through Vice Records). You may already be familiar with the track as it was one of the demos we heard earlier this summer. The finished version of the track “Last Dance” is currently available through Entertainment Weekly’s website. Where the demo sounds somewhat flimsy, this one is perfectly and powerfully polished. Mainstream? Yes. Watered-down? Nah. I’d say if anything, where the band cut out a very exclusive audience with past releases, this song not only includes those folks, but many of the indie-snobs who thrust bands like Vampire Weekend and Passion Pit into the spotlight.
Album art
The Raveonettes have finished recording their latest album, In and Out of Control, due out on Vice Records Oct. 6. Throughout the process, the Danish twosome gave us an intimate in-studio glimpse through the release of rough demos and the transmission of live video chats and recording sessions.
Now, two months away from the record’s release, the band is teasing us yet again with the track “Suicide,” which is available for listen and download through Pitchfork. This basically reinforces what I’ve already speculated in earlier posts regarding the new record: bubblegum pop progressions and harmonies mixed with pitch black, darker-than-ever lyricism. The combination of the sparse surf guitar and drum machine in the verse creates the perfect setup for the booming, tightly wound chorus.
As mentioned above, the new album is called In and Out of Control. So where is the self-titled track we were treated to earlier? The 11-song tracklisting is available to view at Barnes & Noble, but “In and Out of Control” is nowhere to be found, leading me to believe they changed the name. Honestly, I think that would make a great album-opener, so perhaps that track became “Bang!” We shall see…
Here’s the full tracklist for your viewing pleasure:
1. Bang!
2. Gone Forever
3. Last Dance
4. Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)
5. Heart of Stone
6. Oh, I Buried You Today
7. Suicide
8. D.R.U.G.S.
9. Breaking Into Cars
10. Break Up Girls!
11. Wine
In the studio
First off, I must apologize for the lack of updates. A combination of laziness and some other stuff is to blame. But now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’ll get right to it. Updates from The Raveonettes are coming faster than I can keep up with, apparently, but here’s the latest.
In between the last update and now, both Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo have each had one-hour live video chats with fans. You can find Sharin’s here and Sune’s here. Very informative stuff. One bit: The new album should be ready for an Oct. 6 release.
Yesterday marked the first of three opportunities fans can peer in on the studio sessions for a couple hours. It’s neat because you feel pretty exhaustive listening to the same stuff over and over again, just like the artist must feel. The next one is tomorrow, June 24, but there appears to be a discrepancy in time. Twitter says 3 p.m. EST, while the Vice page says 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. So, who knows at this point. You can see the first one here, where the duo, along with producer Thomas Troelsen, is working on vocals for the tentatively titled “D.R.U.G.S.”
Photo taken by J.J. McCarthy
You can’t really ask for much more these days if you’re a Raveonettes fan. Depending on where you lived, they released an album in either late-2007 or early-2008. Then, the duo released a series of four EPs throughout the final quarter of last year. Early this year, the band announced it was headed to the studio to record a new album that would be released Sept. 1.
Now, if all of that wasn’t enough, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are sharing demos from their overseas romp in Denmark. (I say overseas because although they are Denmark natives, both have since relocated to the States.) Today they released the third demo in as many days, titled “In and Out of Control.” (You can download it here.) This one hooks you from opening second and doesn’t let go. Great progression — just gets catchier and catchier. This is the most “Raveonettes” of the three tracks released so far, but the bass riff in the middle and the guitar guiding the chorus make it all sound so explosive and fresh.
I’m wondering if by the time they’re done giving us these demos we’ll have nearly the full album. Not the finished product, but the songs. What do you think? If they release more over the weekend, I’ll post them here just like all the others.
In other related Raveonettes news, Wagner has stressed via Twitter and MySpace that these demos are strictly for your enjoyment. Says the frontman:
“It seems like the media is a bit confused about what we’re doing right now in regards to inviting you into the recording process. I’ve read some articles about how we ‘need’ help from our fans which obviously is not true. We’re totally tuned into what we’re doing and we’re making a fucking great album. I always appreciate and believe that people should be able to leave comments but we’re not looking for production or songwriting help. Hope that clarifies it.”
Photo taken by J.J. McCarthy
There’s something to be said about being able to create a pop song with the title, “Boys Who Rape.” The subject matter is dark, but the chorus, which goes, “Boys who (Boys who) / Rape should (Rape should) / All be (All be) / Destroyed,” is infectious. It almost becomes comedic, in a good way — like a no-brainer rallying cry most people would have no problem supporting. The heavy reverb and intro’s fading lo-fi guitar sound and electric drums keep the song in check, if you will, from becoming a simple ditty. Those elements ground the subject matter, reminding us of what we’re dealing with.
Again promising fans via Twitter a new demo would drop later today, the Raveonettes have released the second work-in-progress in as many days. Like I said yesterday, from the lyrics I’ve seen and the two songs posted so far, this new album is shaping up to be the Danish duo’s darkest yet. Musically, though, it may be the poppiest, taking into consideration other snippets I’ve heard. I personally like the idea. The last record had Sune Rose Wagner focused in on lust and its various forms. It was dark, but more of a personal journey. Now, we have tracks dealing with rape and girls overdosing. Without trying to label the whole forthcoming album, both of these songs sympathize with tortured women. So besides sound, we’re dealing with something completely new and fresh from the previous effort, while keeping the spirit of the band closely intact.
More to come…
Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner in the studio
Making good on their promise this morning, The Raveonettes have released their first studio demo, “Last Dance.” Please note that is the working title. The annoucement came via Twitter, complete with special links to their U.S. label’s (Vice Records) website: one to download the new track, and another to sign up to receive further updates on demos and other “special things the band has planned for their new record.”
This is a pretty cool marketing strategy and in some ways furthers artists’ ability to use the Internet control their own destiny. Instead of the record leaking a month before its release and possibly getting a bad reception, fans can now weigh in and pretty much know what to expect before the proper package hits stores, thus killing that dire need to hear the entire thing early. And even if it does leak, who cares? Most of the stuff was released first by the band. I think we are moving out of the area of the big surprise record. The sooner artists embrace this and use the Internet to their benefit instead of simply going through the motions with their MySpace accounts, the more interesting music will be. I’m not saying everyone should release demos in the runup to a record; but the Internet just makes it so easy to be creative, and most people are still following that old-school record label model.
But let’s get to the specifics here, because after all, the reason this song was released in the first place was to get reaction, buzz, whatever. Firstly, “Last Dance,” in its current form, represents a huge difference from the last album, Lust Lust Lust. Where that release was caked with layer upon layer of feedback, noise and fuzz, this three-and-a-half-minute pop song, despite relatively subtle hints of fuzz in the guitar, is clearer and much more accessible. Not to say that’s a bad thing. I think frontman Sune Rose Wagner has always regretted not breaking the mainstream, and songs like this might be his chance to change all of that. Don’t let any of this fool you, though. The reverb, catchy hooks and dark lyricism — possibly bleaker than before — are all intact, and so far, it doesn’t sound like Pretty In Black. Take that however you wish.
Sune Rose Wagner in the studio w/ producer Thomas Troelsen
Would you describe yourself as one of those people who hates the thought of Twitter? Has sworn never to get an account? Not even sure what it does? Well, I feel your pain. I only signed up about a month ago because I knew I’d eventually end up using the viral information-distributor. For what, I wasn’t exactly sure, but that all changes today. The Raveonettes have announced they will be releasing studio demos from their forthcoming album via Twitter. So if you don’t have an account, get one NOW because the first demo is dropping today, and you’ll want to keep up on this. The duo did something similar for Lust Lust Lust on MySpace, which I have a feeling will show itself to be the superior of the two social networking in leaking music. Unless, however, we are allowed to download the tracks. More to come later today…
