The latest news on Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue reissue

Dennis Wilson's lost classic, 'Pacific Ocean Blue', as we previously reported, is set for re-release soon... well, now we have more details like, when it's released and what the hell is on it.

Disc one has the original 12-song album plus 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks with disc two featuring 17 tracks (all previously unreleased but one) from sessions for the never completed 'Bambu' follow-up album. Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters adds a newly-recorded vocal to the last track on disc two, the previously unreleased 'Holy Man'.

Original all-star collaborators include Beach Boys Carl Wilson, Bruce Johnston, Billy Hinsche and Ricky Fataar; background vocalists Karen Lamm-Wilson, Christine McVie of Fleeetwood Mac, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, and more Full-color booklet includes previously-unseen photos and extensive essays by a variety of Beach Boys scholars.

Leonard Cohen kicks off his tour... look.

Man, I dunno if Leonard Cohen had a plan way back, but the fact remains that his delivery of yore could've always been recreated in his vintage. Tim Buckley had to die. So did Lennon. They woulda been an embarrassment if they were still tryin' to sound like they did in their prime. Okay, they were probably quick enough to develop whole new styles that woulda make me cry tears of joy and say lame things like "oh... the innovation kills me" (we keep tellin' ya... us rock scribes are the lamest people you'll ever meet)... but... where was I? Yeah, Lenny Cohen. He's on the road again, and here's a video of him during his latest tour and he sounds pretty good. Even if the crowd insist on drowning out every little biddy thing with whooping.

DVD Review: Radio On (1979)

A dark film about a dark era - but Chris Petit's Radio On is an incredibly striking movie, a fine period piece and arguably one of the finest road movies ever to come out of the UK.

It's a British movie, but with an undeniably German feel - hardly surprising with Wim Wenders pushing things along on the production side and Wenders collaborator Martin Schafer dealing with the monochrome photography. But it is a film very much about life in Britain, capturing the country at the dawn of Thatcherism - in the grip of economic and social decline.

The loose plot (with very sparse dialogue) follows Robert (David Beames), a London DJ who receives news of his brother's mysterious death. At a crossroads in both his personal and professional life, he takes to the road - heading for Bristol to find out the truth behind his death. On his way, he meets people as lost as himself - a squaddie on leave of duty from Northern Ireland, a wannabe rock star (played by Sting) and a German woman (Ingrid - Lisa Kreuzer) on the hunt for her child. All soundtracked by one of the finest selections of music ever compiled for as movie - including Kraftwerk, David Bowie, Devo, Robert Fripp and Wreckless Eric. Does he find out the truth behind his brother's death? Not really - but he does come to the end of the line as the plot jumps from whodunnit to a tale of a man (like many at the time) struggling to find direction in his life.

Bob Dylan to perform at World Expo

Bob Dylan has today (May 14th) been confirmed by organisers of this year's World Expo in Zaragoza, Spain, to perform at the event on June 23th. Not one to sit still and rest on his laurels (sometimes to a fault), Dylan had recorded a new version of 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' for use on adverts promoting the 2008 World Expo... now he's gonna perform it.

Scare your kids with Katkiller's pop culture dolls

Josmar Madureira (a.k.a Katkiller) is an artist and designer based in Brazil - as well as being the person responsible for these superb Katkiller pop culture dolls.

Take your pick from...well, just about everyone from Amy Winehouse (complete with tattoos), Joey Ramone and David Bowie (Aladdin Sane era) through to the Star Wars characters, Twiggy and Andy Warhol. All are approximately 21 inches tall and weigh around 195 grams. They're made of cloth (raw cotton and polyester), stuffed with synthetic anti-allergic fibre, then painted with silkscreen ink.

Check out the full range via the link below. We don't know the details of price and ordering as yet - currently chasing up the designer and will update as soon as I know more.

Find out more at the Katkiller website

Via Retro To Go

Stevie Wonder to tour

Stevie Wonder has announced a short tour of the US and Canada, kicking off June 18 in Wantagh, NY. Wonder, who is backing Barack Obama (and the Choom Gang) in the race for the US President, will play 13 shows which wind up July 12 in Vancouver. Wonder’s most recent album ‘A Time To Love’ was released in 2005 and earned him his 22nd Grammy award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. For US tour dates, read over... if you live in the UK and are sick at the thought of not seeing, watch The Best Stevie Wonder Video Ever (TM ElecRoul) instead.

Unreleased live LP of Frank Zappa out soon!

The Zappa family trust continue their archival excavation project with a previously unreleased 2CD concert album... 'Wazoo' which celebrates the 35th anniversary of classic Zappa LP, 'The Grand Wazoo'.

Vaulternative Records will release Frank Zappa's 2CD concert recording 'Wazoo' on May 27, 2008. The Trust - headed by Zappa's widow Gail Zappa - celebrates the musical legacy of Frank Zappa with new albums, DVDs and AudioDocumentaries.

'Wazoo' is the third concert release from Vaulternative Records, which releases whole concert albums and other miscellaneous Vault recordings. The Trust also runs Zappa Records, which consists of finished masters or album projects produced exclusively by Frank Zappa. Zappa Records releases include 'MOFO': two historic multi-disc packages on the making of Zappa's seminal debut album 'Freak Out!'

Paul McCartney to give away LP for free... with The Mail On Sunday

Paul McCartney has announced that he is to give away his current studio album Memory Almost Full, with the Mail On Sunday on May 18, putting him in the esteemed company of UB40, Prince, Lenny Crevice Kravitz, Simply Red and Jean Michel Jarre. Enough's enough now, surely?

Macca has sold 100,000 copies of his Memory Almost Full LP, which originally came out last year through Starbucks' music imprint Hear Music. However, via The Daily Heil, he could potentially reach 2million homes. I don't know what's more depressing, the fact that Macca is giving his album away through the Daily Mail, or the fact that 2million people read that shite.

Electric Roulette Top Picks

One of the joys of writing about the best music in the world is that you get to share it. Of course, you could see it as 'jamming our opinions down yer damn throat'... but either way, you get some good tip offs so we all win.

Naturally, this being the brink of summer, Electric Roulette folks have taken on a decidedly cheery frame, so maybe it's reflected in the tunes we're currently hoppin' to. You can be the judge I s'pose.

Anyway, enough jabberin', read over for ten randomly plucked treats from the trove... it's the top picks from May 2008.

Roulette Pin-Ups - Tim Buckley

Who?

Psychedelic minstrel with a Hollywood jawbone, Tim Buckley hawked his athlete ass 'round the folkies before makin' with the amplifiers.

Where can you find him?

Talkin' to the hobos, sittin' by the sea, down the jazz clubs gettin' wrecked with the real deal or maybe gloomily staring out of windows with pen hovering above the page.

Style

Tousled dionysus bidding "bye-bye baby" to the gals with those black hole eyes.

Quote

"So let me sing a song for you Just to help your day along"

Roulette?

Electric... wait... acoustic... wait... jazz, no hang on... electric.

First look at Neil Young's 'Archives'

Oh boy! Oh boy! Look at this! This is the first preview of Neil Young's 'Archives' and, as expected, it looks awesome. If you don't know what we're talking about, scroll down for the 'Archives' article, or, if you're in a particularly lazy mood, click here.

Bag an original East German Disco poster

Salvage experts Trainspotters have dug up a real gem from the former East Germany - a batch of colourful posters for a long-forgotten club.

The club was called Disco and the posters were found in a former Kulturhaus. All are unused, said to be 'excellent to mint condition' and are dated to 1976. Details of the designer aren't known.

The remaining stock has been framed and being offered for sale - you can pick up one of the 61cm x 84cm posters for £210.

Find out more at the Trainspotters website

Via Retro To Go

Neil Young's 'archives' sounds... well... amazing

There's been loads of fuss for nigh on 10 years about Neil Young's 'Archives'. Was it going to be a boxset? A DVD set? What? People need answers... and now, looks like we've got 'em.

Lou Reed says 'Lester Bangs - who?'

For those who have read any of the compilation books of Lester Bangs work for Creem and the like, you'll know that there were some legendary bouts between the writer and Lou Reed. Reed, moody old queen delivering snide put-downs and Bangs, a fanboy who wouldn't let on... the tussles were epic. Well, Jim DeRogatis, Bangs biographer, has kicked up a stink about Lou Reed after he said "who was Lester Bangs?".

DeRogatis wrote "Oh, that Lou: He's such a curmudgeonly old crank, unwilling to ever acknowledge that anyone else in any way enhanced or even shed light on his unparalleled genius. (John Cale what? Robert Quine who?) Witness this dis of his critical amanuensis Lester Bangs the other day at the Tribeca Film Festival, during a conversation with handpicked interviewers Julian Schnabel, director of the new "Berlin" concert film, and overpaid Vanity Fair rock gossip columnist Lisa Robinson, who no one will ever, ever quote about anything."

Tom Waits announces new tour in a YouTube 'press conference'

Read over if you've no sound on your computer...

100 Club Picture Show - music images through the ages

For three days, the 100 Club will open its doors through the afternoons to the public, offering you the chance to see the legendary club, as well as an exhibition of photographs featuring acts who have appeared at the club over the last 60 years.

Photographs from the club, spanning the last 60 years will include Jazz and Blues by Walter Hanlon, Terry Cryer and Chas McDevitt, The Punk Festival of 1976 shot by Barry Plummer, Ray Stevenson and Jill Furmanovsky and Rock and Indie acts by Paul Slattery, Dean Chalkley and Ross Halfin. That includes the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Siouxsie Sioux, Metallica, Oasis, Humphrey Lyttelton, Gallows, Chuck Berry, The Damned, Primal Scream and The Horrors to name just a few.

An exclusive preview takes place on Wednesday 7th May from 6:30pm - contact the club for details. The main public viewing runs from Friday 9th May – Sunday 11th May, 12pm – 4pm. Entry is free.

100 Club website

Via Retro To Go

Review: Joy Division (2008)

One of my earliest childhood memories is being dragged into Manchester by my parents - and being ever-so-slightly scared by the decaying warehouses and factories, the disused Manchester Central railway station and the concrete monstrosities that made up the actual centre. It was grim beyond belief. But that decaying, depressing and hopeless environment produced one of Manchester's most iconic bands and the basis of this self-titled documentary - Joy Division.

Yes, with Control barely out of the cinema, here's another Joy Division story to replace it. But if you are a fan of the band, this is one you really need to see. Why? Well, it's all about the detail.

Review - Blame It On The Dogg (The Swamp Dogg Anthology 1968-1978)

Looking at this LP, it's not immediately obvious what it is. Doing a little assuming, I thought 'it's probably some underrated genius too long for his dues... producer... singer..." and basically, that line of thinking is pretty much true.

Jerry Williams Jr, or Swamp Dogg to his mates... and you...has many facets... soul singer, songwriter, producer... cool muvvafugger. Basically, since the mid 60s, Swamp has been responsible for creating some of the most inventive and innovative black American music that the world will ever see. Not that anyone toldya about it. Until now. 'Blame It On The Dogg' brings together hits and rarities from his early days as a staff producer and A&R man for various cool soul labels, up to and including the independently-financed sessions from the mid-70s that established him as one of the genuine greats of soul music.

Happy Birthday to Link Wray!

Link Wray... the one-lunged Shawnee mystical surf monster would have been 79 today.

And click over for one of my faves...

The Cure to release a new single every month...

The Cure have announced that they will release a new single each month leading up to the release of their 13th studio album in September. Bob Smith & Co will release the first 45 from the as-yet untitled album on May 13, and intend to release a different a- and b-side single on the thirteenth of each month until the album is released on September 13th. Hands up if you think the LP is going to be called Thirteen or somethin'?

The first single, 'The Only One', includes the b-side 'NY Trip'. The second single, 'Freakshow' (due out June 13th) contains the flipside 'All Kinds Of Stuff'. Both b-sides are exclusive to the singles and will not appear on the full-length album.

They were produced by Smith and Keith Uddin. The July 13th and August 13th singles will be announced shortly. Also, The Cure about to embark on a big ol' tour of the US to support the new album beginning May 9.

Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter' to finally see DVD release

About time too! The Rolling Stones '69 US tour doc' Gimme Shelter is to get it's DVD release this August.

Pentangle to headline Green Man Festival

Remember us telling you about a big ol' Pentangle tour? Well, they're now to close this year's Green Man Festival in Wales on August 17. Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox recently reformed to play a one-off 40th anniversary concert, but demand has forced them to play a world tour. The UK dates start at London's Royal Festival Hall on June 29.

Tickets and more info about Green Man is available from the official site... www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk

Pentangle's UK tour dates are over the jump.
    

The Specials' Reformation... Jerry Dammers speaks

    We told you about The Specials reunion in March. Well, founding member Jerry Dammers has said he isn’t too keen on the whole idea.     Despite everyone falling over with shock at the notion and gettin' all positive, Jerry is a little less optimistic... but that's no nail in the coffin as there's hope yet.

Jimi Hendrix - Sex Tape?

First he's supposed to have recorded a version of the Welsh national anthem, and now, Jimi Hendrix is supposed to be in a sex tape. Yep. You heard. Vivid Entertainment plans to release what it claims is a sex tape featuring the legendary axeman.

The film shows a man in the nip, who resembles Hendrix, wearing a bandana and having sex with two brunettes in a dimly-lit room. His face appears on screen for only a few seconds, while in other segments, there are flashes of his profile. The film has no audio, reports The New York Times.

Vivid Entertainment, a large maker of mucky flicks, has created a 45-minute DVD, called 'Jimi Hendrix - The Sex Tape' that combines 11 minutes of sex footage with a retrospective of Hendrix's career in the '60s. Vivid, if you're wondering, are the company that put out the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee vid back in the 90s. This Jimi tape will retail at $39.95.

Of course, there are loads of people disputing the fact that this is Jimi at all...

Unreleased Byrds material soon!

Like The Byrds? Well, you'll be pleased to learn that previously unreleased archive material from the notorious Bryd brothers is  due for release soon.

A recording of an appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London '71 (the Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Skip Battin and Gene Parsons line-up) is to be released in June by Sundazed.

McGuinn has told uncut.co.uk that the recording came from his private collection – and that more releases of a similar kind would probably follow it.

Sinister Folk at the BFI

The British folk revival stumbles on as Flipside unearths two obscure, genuinely creepy ‘70s folk tales on Friday 2nd May and plays a few folkie tunes too under the title Sinister Folk.

Robin Redbreast (Play For Today 1970)
Smart urban divorcee Norah gets more than she bargained for when she retreats to a remote house in the country. Toyed with by some very curious locals who know more than they let on, Norah soon finds herself the unwilling participant in shocking traditions both ancient and frightening.

Murrain (Against The Crowd) (ATV 1975)
When a mysterious virus plagues local pigs and a family goes sick, panicking farmers blame a frail old woman - the ‘witch’ that lives up the lane. An idealistic young doctor from the city tries to dispel the rumours. Taut, intelligent, convincing, written by legendary Quatermass creator, Nigel Kneale.

Afterwards, Resonance FM DJs Jonny Trunk (Trunk Records) and Nervous Stephen (Murri) will be spinning 'dark folk ditties' on black vinyl in Benugo. Tickets for the whole event cost £8.60.

Book tickets at the BFI website

Via Cinedelica

Stooges, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, The Black Keys... all at one festival!

Check this. Bob Dylan, Iggy & the Stooges, Chuck Berry (backed by the Silver Beats), the Black Keys and Wilco will play at this years Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Aug. 9-10.

Now. For the bad news. Paramore, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots are also on. What a rollercoaster!

Aside from the aforementioned, the rest of the festival will also show Bloc Party, Cat Power, Duffy, Foo Fighters, Gogol Bordello, Lupe Fiasco, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Underworld, Moby, Erol Alkan, Ferry Corsten, Soulwax and Richie Hawtin.

Beginning May 3rd, tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.

Hip hop exhibition of photos and artwork

To celebrate all things Hip Hop and the 25th anniversary of the release of the definitive Hip Hop film ‘Wild Style’, last year PYMCA created ‘Wildstyles’ an exhibition that featured classic rare photographs hailing back to the old skool days.

Now, the exhibition has moved to Bar Vinyl in Camden Town and this time they're hosting a photography and art competition sponsored by Pentax. The exhibition will run from the 19th May – 16th June 2008. Hip Hop competition showcase will run from the 17th – 22nd June 2008.

Patti Smith and MBV's Kevin Shields collaboration gets release

Patti Smith and Kevin Shields' live collaboration on 'The Coral Sea' will finally get its release this summer, when it comes out as a 2CDer on their own PASK label.

The album, due out on July 11, features two live performances from June 22, 2005 and September 12, 2006, both at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall. Both feature Smith spoken-word from her 1996 book 'The Coral Sea', a homage to her close friend and legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

Shields provides an instrumental backing to Smith's performance, using guitar and his infamous bank of effects. The two shows are said to have a "different stylistic approach". The album is nearly two hours in length. Heavy.

The Greatest 100 Greatest List Ever

Stumbled across this whilst flagrantly abusing internet privileges at work - The Detroit Metro Time's "100 Greatest Detroit Songs Ever", an untouchably hip Top 100 compiled by the Deetroit rag's staff late last year. Convention dictates that Top 100 Records Lists a la Mojo Magazine, Q Magazine, The Guardian Guide et al lists are arbitrary, predictable, dull etc etc - this list, however, is dynamite from top to bottom. Tons of Psyche-Soul (Black Merda, Funkadelic, Dennis Coffey), Motown (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves), garage rock (Stooges, ? & The Mysterians, MC5), plus the occasional groundbreaking techno or hip-hop track...a genuinely fascinating journey through the Motor City's back catalogue, and a forceful reminder of how consistently this city has produced incredible music since the mid 1900s. Go dig! (Also in the Detroit Metro Times this week: "Road Rage - Mayor and council skirmish over Livernois makeover".) PF

Neil Young and Bob Dylan on the same billing!

A lot us never got the chance to see Bob Dylan and Neil Young, in their prime. With that, we have to hope we catch 'em on a good day in their autumnal years. Well, one place to catch 'em both for the price of one ticket is the Optimus Alive! festival in Lisbon, Portugal this July.

Dylan is about to embark on a European tour will headline the Festival on Friday July 11 and Neil Young is set to headline the three-day event's closing night on Saturday July 12.

The festival takes place at Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Oeiras, and also sees Rage Against The Machine, Spiritualized, The Hives, and The Gossip. Tickets for the three day event are a bargain 80 Euros, or 45 per day, more details are available here www.optimusalive.com

Stevie Winwood to play intimate show in London

Stevie Winwood is stupidly talented. He was the main boy in the Spencer Davis Group, he was in Traffic and Blind Faith and then, he went solo and did some awful 80s records. Anyway, he's announced a one-off club date in London, to take place on May 19th.

The show at the Scala will be a showcase for his forthcoming album 9 Lives, which features friend, drinking buddy and collaborator Eric Clapton on the first single 'Dirty City' out just before on May 5.

Winwood, backed by a full band, is also going to go on a Northern American tour with Tom Petty. Tickets for the one-off London show go onsale Thursday April 24.

More info about the new album and show, check out stevewinwood.com

More on Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue

Remember us telling you about Dennis Wilson's 'Pacific Ocean Blue' getting a re-release? (Click here if you don't) Well, we've got some more news for you.

As most of you are probably aware, this is an album that's been changing hands for silly money and now, thanks to Legacy Recordings, we can all get our hands on one without getting a groin strain.

A special 2-disc, 30th anniversary edition of the album will be released on June 10, which, on top of the LP, will include Bambu: The Complete Sessions - a collection of unreleased material that was slated for inclusion on Wilson's follow-up LP. There's loads of news and info about the release on the official Pacific Ocean Blue website. Click here to pay it a visit.

Beatles get their own day in Liverpool

Liverpool, in places, is like Disneyland for Beatle fans. Fair enough. Now, the Fab Four are to get their own day called, Beatles Day. Beatles Day lands on July 10th this year and has been set aside for fund-raising activities for the Alder Hey Children's Hospital Imagine Appeal with 20,000 moptop wigs being made and businesses encouraged to decorate with Beatley things, as well as radio stations encouraged to play more Beatles-related tracks.

Beatles' Day will culminate with a special gig at the local Liverpool Arena with 'Imagine - The Concert'. The gig, clearly named after a solo track by Lennon, will be hosted by Ricky Tomlinson and will see an array of artists cover the Fabs classic songs. The city will also see Beatles tribute bands play on rooftops. Why the use of 'Imagine'?

Coming soon: The In-Kraut Volume 3

We loved the first two volumes, so we're happy to hear of the launch of The In-Kraut Volume 3.

It's the final instalment in the series on Marina Records, featuring more vintage German grooves from '67 to '74 - 20 rare soul, beat, now sound, mod, jazz & soundtrack gems to be precise. That includes mod stomper Glory Be by Daisy Clan, Dieter Zimmermann's orchestral take on Whole Lotta Love, Inga's cover of Sonny & Cher’s The Beat Goes On, Katja Ebstein's 'druggy' take on A Hard Day’s Night and an even more funk'd up version of The Champ by The German Top Five. Not to mention the usual batch of lost/rediscovered vintage grooves.

We'll have a review of the album before release - which is May 9th 2008.

Find out more at the Marina Records website

Via Modculture

Massive Attack Meltdown line-up - everything from 60s soul to Japanese electronica

We always knew Massive Attack were an eclectic bunch - but if you were in any doubt, check out the line-up for the band's forthcoming Meltdown.

The band is curating this year's festival - and indeed playing two nights (14th and 22nd June). But like all the best Meltdowns, the supporting bill is every bit as interesting. That includes a Gang Of Four / Tom Tom Club double bill (20th June), hippy gods Gong (14th June), Japanese electronic pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra (15th June), Grace Jones (19th June) and a George Clinton / Parliament / Funkadelic night (21st June).

Also of note is the Vangelis Blade Runner soundtrack (mixed by Massive Attack), Terry Callier, Stiff Little Fingers, Martina Topley-Bird, Elbow, various club nights and movie screenings. For all the details, ticket prices and availability, check out the Southbank Meltdown site.

Find out more at the Southbank Meltdown website

Horace Andy to feature on new Massive Attack LP

Horace Andy's 'Quiet Place' is probably my favourite reggae record ever. So with that, I always keep an eye on what he's up to. He's worked with Massive Attack a fair bit with mixed results, and the reggae legend is back in cahoots with the Bristol misery guts.

Horace will join will also join the group when they tour this summer, as well as appearing with them at June’s Meltdown festival, which they’re curating. Andy tells the BBC, “They send the lyrics for me to learn, I've done three tracks. I never know what they are going to choose, I am supposed to be going up to Bristol very soon. They send me lyrics, I go up and we vibes you know? They play and I get the melody and 3D will give me the lyrics and I will get a really wicked melody and sing the lyrics, and they go and work around it."

I've no idea what the tracks are or what the album is called... so watch this space if you're interested. [MG]

Microsoft to launch Joy Division-themed Zune media player. Yes really...

If it was April 1st, I would think twice about publishing this story. But it isn't - Microsoft really is going to produce a Joy Division-themed Zune media player.

Available from June 10th, the player will be limited edition, produced to promote a new DVD about the band and featuring Peter Saville's iconic album artwork from Unknown Pleasures.

The picture above is a mock-up, but likely to be close to what you'll get. If you live in America that is. You see, the Zune hasn't been released in the UK as yet - which means a design forever associated with Manchester will not actually be sold in the city.

Microsoft Zune

Via Retro To Go