Yeah, I know, I just did one of these a couple of months ago.
So what? This week's cover package on Tropical Heatwave includes a feature with a great band (Say Hi To Your Mom), so that's taken care of. Plus, there's always interesting stuff going on both in town and around the world. Plus-plus, I like writing these columns. They're fun, and I don't have to ask some "artist" about his or her "influences."
And we're off.
Perhaps the coolest/scariest/coolest-again news I can bring you this week concerns inspiring actor/poet/MC/progressive hip-hop champion Saul Williams, who you might know from such TV programming as Lackawanna Blues and Girlfriends, such movies as K-Pax and Slam, and such boundary-smashing albums as Amethyst Rock Star and, uh, Saul Williams.
He's working on a new album, and it's being knob-twiddled by none other than Nine Inch Nails auteur Trent Reznor.
Williams claims he never heard NIN before the collaboration, because he's not white, doesn't wear eyeliner and has never been to an Old Wave Night. (My reasons, not his.) Whatever — the thought of one of urban music's most creative and socially active voices pairing with one of alternative music's most innovative musicians has me buying the whole seat, but only using the edge of it …
Alex Kapranos, the angular, stylish frontman for the angular, stylish and historically astute Franz Ferdinand, has been writing a cooking column for noble U.K. newspaper The Guardian. (In case you don't know, The Guardian is what you read when you actually want to know how the rest of the world feels about what our government doesn't tell us it's doing.) Now, it seems those culinary tips 'n' tidbits will be compiled into a book, to be oh-so-obviously titled Sound Bites. Never trust recipes from a guy who looks like he never eats. Andrew Knowles, Franz's drummer and keyboard player, will illustrate the tome …
Former Great White tour manager Dan Biechele has been sentenced to four years in prison for setting off the pyrotechnics that started the infamous fire at Rhode Island nightclub The Station in early 2003. More than 100 patrons were killed in the blaze. Station owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian are still awaiting trial on involuntary manslaughter charges …
Hey, remember Outkast? Remember that movie they were supposed to do? Remember that album that was supposed to come out? Well, the latest and most recently pushed-back release dates are available, and state that the soundtrack for Idlewild will "drop" Aug. 22, and that the movie itself will find its way into theaters on Aug. 25. Look, after this many delays, it's OK to stop holding your breath. Seriously, you're endangering your health. Those who can't possibly wait can hunt down Cab Calloway-copping first single "Mighty O" on the Web right now …
One of my favorite bands to rise from the ashes of one of my favorite bands, The Hold Steady, have associated their groovy, bar-rocking, literate, indescribable selves with former emo clearinghouse Vagrant Records. The group is currently in the studio, working on a CD that won't be ready by the time they tour nowhere near here in anticipation of their early August Lollapalooza set …
Also cool, touring, and ignoring Florida completely but coming close enough to drive if you want it that badly: freak-folk novelty Devendra Banhart (June 15, Variety Playhouse, Atlanta), and domestically underrated U.K. sad-pop heartthrobs Snow Patrol (May 29, Roxy Theatre, Atlanta). The Stills, a garage rock band fronted by that talented female singer from Discount, is coming to town, however, and it's got killer Sub Pop Records psychedelic/acoustic/sophistipop act Rogue Wave in tow; that bill hits Ybor's Orpheum on June 6 …
Britney Spears is officially pregnant again. Look, I'm not one to advocate extramarital affairs, but let's hope the father of this one is RZA, Dave Grohl, Chevy Chase, Cary Elwes, Mojo Nixon, George Romero, Kobe Bryant — basically anybody but the failed dancer/soon-to-be-failed hip-hop hopeful to whom she's married …
Which prominent rapper was killed/shot/shot at most recently? T.I. The MC's friend and personal assistant Philant Johnson was killed on May 3 in a gunfight that started at a Cincinnati club, and continued onto a freeway that hadn't been closed for the filming of a movie about deluded gun-toting morons trying to waste each other. MTV News quoted T.I. as saying, "I'm figuring out whether or not I even want to keep doing this [stuff] right now." Note to T.I.: You can make hip-hop without talking about how hard you are, and then feeling like you have to be as hard as you said you were. Honestly. You can …
One last hip-hop note: Def Jux spitter C-Rayz Walz will be at Orpheum on June 2. You should go. He's absolutely sick talented, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't go "strapped" …
If you're a fan of both semi-obscure '70s British almost-punk and extremely obscure contemporary British stoner metal, then you are weird and special, and you should pay attention: Orange Goblin has recorded a cover of The Damned's "New Rose," for inclusion in an upcoming compilation CD called Sucking The '70s II. Chances are, it will only be available as an import. The O.G. is coming to the States for a tour with Scissorfight at the end of the month; no word yet on whether the jaunt will hit the Bay area, or somewhere close …
Veteran sort-of-indie-pop-and-almost-famous-several-times outfit Creeper Lagoon has a new CD out. No, really …
Now an item that makes for a wonderful national-to-local segue: Female-fronted, Tampa Bay hard-rock unit Klik is going to be featured in the issue of former music bible Rolling Stone that comes out Thurs., May 18. Klik founders Chrissy Paolillo and Stephanie Monty beat out thousands of other entrants from all over the country to win the magazine's Ford Fusion-co-sponsored unsigned band search. Kudos, ladies. In addition to all the print exposure — check out www.rollingstoneextras.com/fusion — the band will get to play with whatever national artist the magazine deems the smokin'est of '06 in New York City at the end of the summer …
Manasota act Stone Soup has been a little hard to pin down lately, as several members have been exploring other options, both musical and otherwise. For fans of the group, there's good news and bad news. The good news: There's a reunion show scheduled May 20 at Sarasota's Rosemary Court. The bad news: It's also the combo's farewell show. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: It gets good again, as the gig is a benefit for new Sarasota bicycle/pedestrian safety concern Alliance for Responsible Transportation, or A.R.T. The Skullduggery Band and Stone Soup offshoot StitchCraft will also perform.
This article appears in May 17-23, 2006.
