Beck + Danger Mouse = Favorite Song of the Day

It only makes sense that Beck and Danger Mouse would eventually work together on a project, and on its way sometime soon is Modern Guilt. Given their affinity for spaced-out, LSD-infused bubblegum-pop and obscure deep grooves from the 60s & 70s, their collaboration was inevitable. And so Danger Mouse has produced Beck's latest LP with a potential release date in June or July.

The first leaked track, "Chemtrails", is garnering justifiable comparisons to Pink Floyd thanks to the thunderous drumming of Joey Waronker. But Beck's lilting and wispy vocals recall Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson, and until those powerhouse drums kick in, "Chemtrails" crawls through the hills of Southern California more than those of Cambridge.


It's probably safe to say that Danger Mouse gets our vote for Producer of the Year 2008 (if that award exists). So far he's brought us new albums from The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Martina Topley-Bird, The Shortwave Set, and now the latest from Beck. And to think, just four years ago he was a 26 year old up-and-coming DJ who'd illegally made the greatest hip-hop album of the decade that never made a cent.

Check out Beck.com for fun with flash media.

-J2

This Week In My Morning Jacket News

More of Evil Urges is finding its way through the cracks of the interweb. Set to be released June 10th on ATO, this is likely the most anticipated album of My Morning Jacket's career, so it is no surprise that most of us have a hard time waiting any longer than we have to. Another month-and-a-half is too long to wait, we say. For now, though, we only have a coupla tracks to keep us sated. Here is the title track:

"Evil Urges" mp3



Many thanks to NPR for granting us access to this one:
"Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt 2" mp3 (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Make sure you take your time on that NPR site - there are some good finds to be had.

Other than the sets at Coachella and Bonnaroo, MMJ won't be stateside again until August. They'll be playing to their hometown crowd in Louisville 8/16, and just announced this week is a Red Rocks show 8/21 (with Black Keys opening).

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: A Good-Looking Week

The next seven days look to be good ones for live music fans residing in Chicago. Here are some highlights:

Thursday, April 10th
Bon Iver @ the Lakeshore Theater (2 shows)

Friday, April 11th
Autechre @ the Abbey Pub



Friday, April 11th
Caribou (with Fuck Buttons) @ the Empty Bottle (2 shows)










Friday, April 11th
Tapes 'n Tapes @ The Metro





Saturday, April 12th
The Black Keys (with Jay Reatard) @ The Riviera








Saturday, April 12th
American Music Club @ Schubas







Monday, April 14th
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ Schubas

Wednesday, April 16th
Man Man (with Yeasayer) @ Logan Square Auditorium












Wednesday, April 16th
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ the Empty Bottle

-J2

Strange Bedfellows

MiddleCoast fave Danger Mouse is actually a real-life superhero, making the world a better place. After producing some of the best albums in the past five years (see: The Grey Album, Demon Days, The Good The Bad & The Queen, St. Elsewhere), not to mention pulling one of the best pranks ever in 2006, Mouse is still at it. He teams up with Cee-Lo once again (hallelujah) with a new Gnarls Barkley release, The Odd Couple (due out in April); he's produced the newest from Martina Topley-Bird (of Tricky's Maxinquaye fame), entitled The Blue God; and perhaps the most interesting pairing is with Ohio garage-rockers, the Black Keys.

As the story goes, Danger Mouse was planning an album for Ike Turner, a fallen idol he'd hoped to return to his rightful glory. Mouse and Ike had employed the Keys to write the songs (it was to be billed as Ike Turner & the Black Keys), Mouse would produce, and Ike would sing, as well as play guitar, organ, and piano. When Turner passed away last December, the songs the Keys had written simply became the basis for their own new album, and Danger Mouse stayed on to produce Attack & Release (due out April 1st on Nonesuch).

The first single, "Strange Times", is evidence that the pairing worked, giving the middleCoast our favorite song of the year thus far. The minimalist blues-rock of the Keys, which owes so much to Turner's career, gets infused with the sound of soul that Danger Mouse has brought to all of his rock 'n roll projects. Here is a sneak peek:



The Black Keys hit Chicago April 12th at The Riv.

Make more friends at:
http://www.myspace.com/theblackkeys
http://www.myspace.com/martinatopleybird
http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley

-J2