Turn The Radio Up

Another year, another supergroup (no, I'm not sure what that means). Taylor from Hanson, former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Fountains of Wayne/Ivy alumnus Adam Schlesinger and drummer Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick combine their super rings to form supergroup Tinted Windows. Check out a few snippets below.

It's certainly not bad, but kind of generic. Definitely has a nice retro feel to it. Say what you will about Hanson, but unlike everyone else from their time, they actually played and wrote most of their own music. The others basically have valid street cred.

Their debut album is available starting April 21st.

Y! Music article.
Their web site with a full rendition of "Kind Of A Girl".
Follow their Twitter.

Speaking of Tomorrow, How Will It Ever Come?

Many updates for Wilco fans today!

First, as we reported back in January, Wilco's next official release will be a DVD documentary called Ashes of American Flags. It is currently hitting the film festival circuit:

First, "Ashes of American Flags", the wilco concert film, had it's world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival last weekend and won the award for Best Cinematography.

It's out on April 18, Record Store Day. Watch a preview trailer here.

Second, they are doing a few US shows this spring. Get tickets while you can! More details here.

Finally and most importantly, new album news:

The band are making major progress on the upcoming soon-to-be-titled LP. They've been hunkered down in the loft with Jim Scott and are just about ready to start mixing. We've got it on the calendar for release in June -- watch the site for further and more specific news in the next few weeks.

June! What a grand summer it shall be!

I Used the Wrong Method of the Wrong Technique

In preparation for their new studio album, Depeche Mode is experimenting with the iTunes Season Pass subscription model, the first music artist to do so.

Those who sign up immediately get the new single "Wrong" as well as a remixed version of "Oh Well." Subscribers will also get a variety of new music and exclusive videos between now and the release date, the full digital album and additional content released afterwards.

Novel, and for $19, not entirely a bad deal - just personally not a fan of music subscriptions. This should be interesting.

Yesterday You'd Forgiven Me

After last year's coke fiasco, Page is turning -er- the page:

"By mutual agreement, Steven Page will be parting company with the remaining members of Barenaked Ladies," the band wrote on its official Web site on Tuesday evening. "Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart will continue recording and touring together as Barenaked Ladies. Steven Page will pursue solo projects including theatrical opportunities while the band enters the studio in April 2009, and hits the road in the fall."

LIfe is a Great Big Bang Up

I guess April Fool's Day is coming early this year - right? RIGHT?!

Don't You Know That You Can Count Me Out

A YouTube video has surfaced claiming to be take 20 of "Revolution 1" from the The White Album. It runs 7 minutes longer than the released version.

The most noticeable difference is the second half of the song which is made up of tape loops, whoopin' and hollerin' and other bits & bobs similar to "Revolution 9".

It has not yet been confirmed legitimate and I'm fairly skeptical that it is. It's all too easy for anyone to piece something like this together using simple audio programs like Garageband.

Check it out for yourself below. What do you think?



NME Post about it.

The Map of My World Gets Smaller

Keane is touring Canmerica:

MAY
8 - Oakland, CA - The Fox Theater
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
12 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall
13 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
15 - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
16 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
19 - Washington, DC - Constitution Hall
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theater
21 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
23 - Toronto, ON - The Sound Academy
24 - Cleveland, OH - Tower City Amphitheater
27 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall

Thank You For Your Interest, Young Man

New Porno AC Newman is touring:

2/21 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
2/22 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
2/24 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
2/25 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
2/26 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
2/27 Santa Barbara, CA @ Club Mercy
2/28 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
3/1 Eugene, OR @ John Henry’s
3/10 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
3/11 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
3/12 Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
3/13 Providence, RI @ Club Hell
3/14 Boston, MA @ Paradise
3/15 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
3/17 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
3/18 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
3/19 Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
3/20 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
3/21 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
3/22 St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
3/24 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
3/25 Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
3/26 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room at The Crofoot
3/27 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
3/28 Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum
3/29 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House

I'm Groovin' On

Fountains of Wayne is releasing its first ever DVD!

For the band’s first-ever live DVD, fans are treated to a career-defining set with punchy performances of their hits including “Stacy’s Mom,” “Sink To The Bottom” and “Radiation Vibe.” Having perfected the sounds of summer buzz with tight rhythms, carefree melodies and humor-laced lyrics, the indie pop quartet takes the stage in prime form, knocking out favorite after favorite.

No Better Place was recorded in Chicago back in 2005 before the release of the ultimately underwhelming Traffic and Weather. It hits stores on March 3.

What a Dream I Had

Simon & Garfunkel may be reuniting once again for another tour:

"Our plan to work together is coming together ..." said Garfunkel.

No details yet though. This is a bucket list fulfillment opportunity, people. Stay tuned.

I'm Just Waiting 'til the Shine Wears Off

Coldplay may be giving away a free live album this summer - so says Chris Martin:

"We're playing a lot of shows in the summer and I think what we would like to do is - bearing in mind the recession we are in - record the live album then give it as a gift," he added.

"We are just trying to work out how to do that. It's obviously a bit tricky in terms of record contracts and things but it would be great. Its a way of saying thank you. It's a tough economy and people are paying a lot of money for tickets.

"We are trying to work out a way that, when you hand your ticket in at the door, you get given the recording. It would be such a cool thing to do."

Wouldn't it make more sense to give the free album to the people that can't afford to shell out the big bucks to see them in concert? If you can spend upwards of 100 bucks for a concert, what's another $10 for a live album to commemorate the experience? C'mon, Chris Martin, think this through.

It'll never happen anyway.

Love is the Key

Love those Charlatans:

Pick up You Cross My Path, their finest album in many many years.

Meet Me In the Sound

If you haven't been paying attention, U2 is flexing their promotional muscles for No Line on the Horizon. A full week on Letterman?

Damned by the Existential Moment

Dear Fellow Iowans,

I would like to offer you a reminder that tickets for Ben Folds' March 18th performance at the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines go on sale tomorrow. Upon placing your order, you will be charged $30 plus $30 in CrapMaster fees.

You're welcome. Have a nice evening.

Sincerely,

2poppy

You Wanna Mess With the Bizkit?

Disgusted and bored with the current state of new music? Me neither, but Limp Bizkit is and is here to save us!

Thank you, Fred.

Please Don't Waste My Time

Oasis is releasing Falling Down as their next single, which is an excellent choice. It's an achievement they haven't realized since their heyday. Plenty of different formats that include a new song and even a 22-minute remix of Falling Down. Echoes anyone?

Oh, and the new video has 'em all talking. I don't get the royal thing, but I'll take this as a hardly veiled criticism.

Now Everybody Do The Propaganda

Coming in May: new Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown.

Pre-order here.

American Idiot was brilliant. Can they repeat?

EXCLUSIVE: BRANDON SCHOTT - HOMEGROWN RECORDINGS VOL. 1

UPDATE: Greetings, Popdosers! Welcome to Too Poppy. Check out the first season finale of Homegrown Recordings here (Brandon's excellent cover of Strawberry Fields Forever will be available for a limited time).

Below is the first volume of an exclusive feature courtesy of Brandon Schott. I can't express how honored I was when Brandon presented this idea to me and how this first installment sent chills down my spine within seconds of hearing it (the good kind of chills). Anyone with kids - or any Bjork fan - will understand. We should all be thankful he's willing to share ... in his words ...

BRANDON SCHOTT - HOMEGROWN RECORDINGS
Vol 1: "ALL IS FULL OF LOVE"

Welcome to the first in what I hope is a long series of peeks into my soundbook. I thought it would be fun to comb through my iTunes library and pull out a few odds and ends of mine that didn't make any official release, but I thought might be worth sharing. Special thanks to Too Poppy for enthusiastically hosting!! In addition to these free downloads (always here at Too Poppy), on the 10th of every month, I'll be simultaneously posting a 'live-from-my-living-room' performance series on youtube and myspace.

The first offering speaks for the apt theme of our series' birth. This modest little version of Bjork's "ALL IS FULL OF LOVE" was recorded shortly before my 2nd son, Harper, was born in 2006- in an effort to both calm my nerves as well as compile a record of lullabys (both original and familiar) for his first slumbers in our world. The project was eventually displaced by his welcome arrival, which initially left me with little time to rest myself - let alone time work on such a sleepy project. The track was engineered and mixed by my dear friend Jake Simpson, who graciously set me loose on his vast collection of vintage synths (my lead vocal, guitar and our joint background vocals were recorded in his bathroom). A true homegrown affair.

Thanks so much for listening, and sweet dreams until next month! :)

MP3: Brandon Schott - All is Full of Love (artwork)
Video: Brandon Schott - (via YouTube)


Time to further acquaint yourself with Brandon's official releases:

All of Brandon Schott's singles and albums via iTunes
Brandon Schott - RELEASE (2003) via iTunes, Not Lame, CD Baby
Brandon Schott - Golden State (2007) via iTunes, Not Lame

Brandon Schott MySpace
Brandon Schott Official Site

Previously...

Everybody Knows I'm Crazy About You

File Under Odd. Creed Bratton, who plays Creed Bratton on The Office (who knew?), is also a recording artist. Not only was he in The Grass Roots (video below, Creed is in the stripped shirt at the far left), he's had several solo albums over the years. The song he sings in The Office Benihana Christmas episode, "Spinnin' N Reelin'", is actually one of his own compositions. I suddenly have a whole new appreciation for Creed.

EXCLUSIVE: TEASER

I started Too Poppy years ago to find a connection to the music that I once had when I worked it radio. It was also a lovely way to relieve a bit of the stress inherent in the law school experience. I've intentionally kept Too Poppy low profile - I've never had grandiose plans. We live a simple life around here and god forbid we mess that up.

But...

When one of your favorite Too Poppy artists suggests something special, you need to consider doing a bit more. That's why for the first time we'll shake up Too Poppy and offer you an EXCLUSIVE tomorrow.

That's all I'll say for now. You've been teased. Did it feel good?

Silence Is the Only Sound

We do not live in a Too Poppy world. In a Too Poppy world, Owsley would be a millionaire songwriter with a buttload of Grammy awards. The guy can write a tune! In the real world, Owsley blesses us with new music so very rarely that we must pay attention when he does.

A new file was recently uploaded to his Yahoo group. It's a brand new tune just written with Amy Grant and Vince Gill (they're married and Owsley plays in Grant's band). When Lonely Comes Around is all Owsley, but Gene Miller sings the vocals while Owsley plays electric piano and John Fields plays bass guitar. Nice all around.

MP3: Owsley - When Lonely Comes Around (via Yahoo Groups)

Can't You Comprehend the Magnitude?

Wisely has a new live album called Tokyo Doki-Doki recorded in Paducah Tokyo and you can get it for as low as $.99! That's 99 cents, people. Go here and do it. Then go see him live whenever you have the opportunity. It's a good thing.

01. Altitudes
02. Flowers For The Lady
03. Who Blew Out The Sun?
04. Ella
05. Drink Up
06. Do You Know The Way To
San Jose?
07. Tokyo Arbor
08. Erase Me
09. On My Way
10. Cut Your Groove
11. My Complicated Friend
12. Cracked World View
13. Lady Of Love
14. Vagabond
15. This Is Everything
16. Raincan
17. Cannot Love You Enough
18. Duration
19. National Council of
Jewish Women's Thrift
Store

Lost in Time

Doves

New Album

Kingdom of Rust

Out UK

March 30

Out US

Let's hope March 31

Download new tune free

Being fans of the Vangelis film score, 'Blade Runner', we always wanted to write an imaginary song for the closing credits on Ridley Scott's classic... It's called Jetstream...

Here - get it fast before they take it down

Awesome

When I Think Back

Today is the day Too Poppers and members of the Jellyfish Army have been waiting nearly a year for - the US release of Roger Joseph Manning Jr.'s new solo album Catnip Dynamite. I've spent nearly a year becoming fairly intimate with it and I'm happy to report that it's well worth the extra change I spent having it imported from Japan. You will not be disappointed.

The US version comes with three bonus tracks:

Bonus Tracks - Live From Fuji Rock, Japan
12. Europa and the Pirate Twins
13. You Were Right
14. Love Lies Bleeding

Cool Popper Powerpopaholic has a great interview with the former Jellyfish right here. You can get an autographed copy of the album from - who else? - Newbury Comics here. Not Lame fan? Here. And of course here are the links for the iTunes and Amazon MP3 downloads.

Do it. Now. Enjoy the hell out of it and revel in the beauty of perfect pop.