End of the Month Music Bitchfest - September

BITCH TACOS!!!!!!

Nine Inch Nails

In June, a teaser for the Fincher remake of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" showed up with a Reznor/Ross version of "The Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin featuring Karen O. of The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs on vocals.
A few months after that, a new seven minute piece appeared on www.dragontattoo.com.
About two weeks ago, an almost four minute trailer for the movie showed up at www.mouth-taped-shut.com, a blog seemingly run by an insider who has been posting videos and photos from the set and editing room.
The trailer features more new music and it sounds like the top-notch, Oscar®© winning stuff that Reznor and Ross have been making for a while now.
I'm not going to try to describe it, there's a piano and some static coolness (as in "cool sounding static", not "coolness that stays in one place"), just go there and watch it for yourself if you'd like.
I have a strange inclination that the Dragon Tattoo score is going to be two discs.
Not sure why; perhaps because "The Social Network" score was created in a relatively short period of time whereas Reznor and Ross were working on this music until at least a month ago.
Which would mitigate (to some extent) the lack of anything else from the Reznor/NIN/HTDA camp for the majority of this year.
Aside from this, nothing.
The twelfth anniversary of "The Fragile" has come and gone without a whisper of this deluxe reissue Reznor promised fans more than three years ago.
Also nothing on the How To Destroy Angels album.
I'm really hoping he's not holding off on all this shit until the movie comes out...
That's fucking December, which would blast everything deep into 2012.
Bummer.
As much as I like me some instrumental Reznor music, I think I like the stuff with lyrics in it better.
Also, it seems like quite a fewmillions people are excited about this movie...why is that?

Beck

Mr. Beck done scheduled hisself some concerts in Califor-ni-ay!

Not a tour.
Not an album release party.
Some concerts.
Three, to be exact.
And two of them are the Bridge School Benefit.
So get ready for some acoustic bluegrass covers, folks.
He's also contributed a cover of John Martyn's "Stormbringer" to an upcoming tribute album.
I'll download that song illegally (whilst gnashing my teeth) and then continue waiting for Beck to take off his funky Producer's Hat and put on his funky Musician's Hat.
Or, it's like I said and Beck is done recording/releasing his own music forever.
I suppose we'll know more next month.
And by "suppose" I mean "fucking pray".
Because this is getting dusty...

Cake

I think they might just be snarking now, not touring, although they have some dates in the West coming up in a few months.
Or something.
Passive Bitch Status initiated.

Eels

Literally, nothing.
But again, they have two whole months to make a peep.
Not worried.
Yet.

They Might Be Giants

Still touring, although they found time to shoot a sub-par video for the song Cloisonné.
It's blue and Flans' eye pouches make me sad.
One thing that can be said, it's the first TMBG video they've appeared in since Dr. Worm, although sansthe frenetic pacing and dancing.
I think they might be growing up.
NOT A PUN.
LEAVE ME ALONE.
I also received my exclusive TMBG Instant Fan Club 7" vinyl in the mail.
I will bring down my record player some time soon and enjoy that.
I'm kind of hoping the songs aren't amazing, because the band is being very clear that these songs are only on vinyl, only for the club members and not to be disseminated.
So, if they're realllll good...I may need a portable record player...
They make those, right?
Portable?
I also ordered yet another new TMBG shirt, this one red on blue and hard to look at.
Should be fun.
It better be for $35 after taxes, shipping and handling.
Fuckers.

In other news:

I believe Marilyn Manson may have confused "announcing the title of his new album" with "releasing his new album".

But who can really say where his head's at?
He did manage to regain enough consciousness to pop up, shoot a horrible video and mumble the title into the Internet like some smelly hedgehog.
Said title, "Born Villain", sounds like there's going to be a lot of lamentation over how people are persecuting him for stuff, although I don't think I've even heard anyone say his name (aside from me and him) in about six years.
No worries though, I'm sure it's going to be great.
And made available for purchase.
Pretty sure.

Garbage was most helpful and painfully straightforward in a recent Facebook post:

"You WILL hear a brand new track from us in October this year.

It WILL be a cover version.

HOWEVER

This track has nothing to do with our new record and WILL NOT be included in our new record

It is NOT a single

It is NOT a first single.

It is NOT going to BE our first single.

It is simply a song that happens to be a cover version that you will hear in a matter of weeks if you care to

Meanwhile

We continue to work on 24 songs.

12 of which will be mixed and mastered by October
17th.

Those 12 songs will constitute the new LP.

Meanwhile the other 12 songs will also be mixed and mastered by the end of the year and will be
released as B-sides, extra tracks and maybe one might even come your way simply as a Christmas present from garbage as a thank you to you all for sticking around. Who knows? But sooner or later you are going to hear them."

Oh good! October 17th! Just in time for...October 18th...

Can you imagine if all bands were as delightfully, contemptibly clear as this?
I can't tell what I love more, the condescension or the transparency!!!
Anyway, while I do enjoy bands that have singles and EP's and stuff on which to put those twelve extra tracks (especially in this age of the loathsome and horrid "digital EP"), I think a double album could have been cool.
Kind of like a "not only are we

back, but we're back with a double album" thing.

Then again, I'm a glutton, so
this is probably better.

If I were able to consume music at the same rate I have lately been consuming Junior Mints...?

Let's just say the release schedules of the bands I like would make the Beatles' look like Guns 'N' Roses.
Garbage actually has some pretty great b-sides; sometimes a bit underdeveloped, but some pretty solid, almost album worthy.
In a recent video entitled "It's Coming Soon" we see Shirley shaking her stuff a bit and hear a really cool, dark ambient wash. It cuts off before the guitars/drums come crashing in, but you can feel their presence...

Very excited.

St. Vincent is on tour (I'm planning on attending her November 3rd Webster Hall show), but still releasing stuff.
Not only did she record a track for the new season of Boardwalk Empire, but Annie Clark put together an instrumental composition for the upcoming yMusic project.
Plus, in a recent NPR appearance, she mentioned that her album with David Byrne is shaping up, but that it won't see the light of day until late next year.
She stated it's electronic in nature and how her and Byrne have been recording and sending snippets back and forth via e-mail.
I gave the new St. Vincent a pretty great review which you can read by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

I also reviewed the new Tori Amos album...with which I need to spend more time.

Even after reading the lyrics...this thing is still baffling me.                   
And I totally missed out on both her shows at the Beacon, tickets going faster than tickets to a Tori Amos show.
Not too concerned though, I still think her older stuff is better, although her new album is superambitious and more daring than Doritos.

According to Tweaker's Facebookpage, about half the album is recorded and now they are looking forvocalists.

In fact, if you are soinclined, you can go to this aforementioned page and submit a vote for who you'dlike them to get to sing on said new album.
I voted for...well, most of theartists mentioned in this post, actually.
But only because I want them tokeep busy and because their vocals over Tweaker's music would be the fuzzyshiznit.
Sorry.
The Fuzzy Shiznit.

Think that's all.....

Buckle down, study hard, and,maybe, MAYBE...you'll shine like I do.

Cavalcade of Links

www.dragontattoo.com
Review of Tori Amos' "Night of Hunters"

Review of St. Vincent's "Strange Mercy"

Tweaker's Facebook page