On March 28, Thomas Dolby breaks his longstanding silence with a 3-song EP, Oceanea, followed by a full album this summer titled A Map of The Floating City. The album is, in a way, a soundtrack to a Facebook video game Dolby is developing called The Floating City (the description leaves one to think Farmville in the Myst).
Dolby actually released a song to the public last year called “Love is a Loaded Gun,” and it can be presumed that song will be included on the new album as well. What will not be on the album according to Dolby’s press release (and the sound of “Love is a Loaded Gun” bears this out), is an overly electronic sound. In fact, said Dolby, ”This album does not sound electronic at all. I have zero desire to add to the myriad of machine-based, synth-driven grooves out there. What I do best is write songs, tell stories.”
The new album will feature a host of special guests including Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Eddi Reader, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley and Imogen Heap.
The recently released soundtrack to Californication‘s fourth season features music from Cracker, Warren Zevon, Eagles of Death Metal and three from Queens of Dogtown, including a cover of Alice In Chains’ “Would?” The group features Zoe Kravitz on vocals.
Kravitz is featured on the Showtime Network series as Pearl. She is, as you might have guessed by her notable last name, the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. (Remember Lisa Bonet on The Cosby Show? Don’t you feel old now?)
Popdose will be doing a full review on the soundtrack in the future, so stay tuned to us. In the meantime, here is a video EPK for Queens of Dogtown highlighting their version of “Would?”
Queens of Dogtown – Last Caress from the Californication Soundtrack
In Brief
The new Raveonettes album is due in the stores on April 5th, and it is called Raven in the Grave. They will also be doing a brief North American tour to promote the release of the album. Their prior release, In and Out of Control came out in 2009.
The Raveonettes – Forget That You’re Young
The new Twilight Singers album, Dynamite Steps, arrives on February 15th via Sub Pop Records. The band’s lead, Greg Dulli, formerly of the Afghan Whigs, is also recognized as part of the Gutter Twins with former Screaming Trees headman Mark Lanegan.
Lanegan contributes to the new Twilight Singers effort, which also guests Joseph Arthur, Ani DiFranco, and Petra Haden.
Twilight Singers – Last Night in Town
Catching up on our Van Halen news, the rumor mill is reporting the new album could be available by August, and that news would ordinarily headline a post like this. However, there is a tendency with Team VH to shoot down rumors shortly after they’ve burned up the grapevine a little bit, offering unconditional “no’s” that sometimes mutate into “maybe’s.” We report this solely for its speculative value.
Banking institution Citigroup announced the company had taken control of EMI Music and all subsidiary assets. So, when you next make your credit card payment and wonder exactly where your interest charges are going, the answer is: Chris Martin of Coldplay.
More speculation arises via a tantalizing blurb on Def Leppard’s official website. To quote: “The countdown is on for Def Leppard to make a major announcement to the world! Stay tuned, DefLeppard.com will be reporting official news soon!” So far as major announcements go, it is hard not to believe this entails new music, as the last album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (and no, I still can’t quite stomach that title) appeared in 2008. A world tour could also be involved, but the band has been consistently touring for years, and might not constitute a major announcement.
Let’s hope that it somehow involves Mutt Lange and doesn’t involve bogus “Goodbye Tour (crossing our fingers)” information.
The Flaming Lips will be touring in support of their new vinyl box set Heady Nuggs 1992-2002 repackaging their albums Hit to Death in the Future Head, Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, Clouds Taste Metallic, The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The big news is that the tour setlist appears to include complete performances of The Soft Bulletin.
Finally, here’s some new music from The Strokes.
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