Mark Lanegan. Again. Some more.

“Riot in My House” – Mark Lanegan Band

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Yes, I just made a “Why isn’t everyone a raving Mark Lanegan fan yet?” post a couple of months ago, but I just started a new day job, and Lanegan’s rumbling tones have been helping ease my re-entry at the end of the work day (the album version of that killer live track above is particularly good for shaking off the effects of fluorescent lighting and conversations with normal people).

And there is a bit of news to include:

  • Lanegan has collaborated with British multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood and the result, an album called Black Pudding, is slated for release on April 16.
  • April 2 will see a deluxe reissue of Mad Season’s sole album Above and will include a track featuring Lanegan called “Locomotive”. You can hear the song at Rolling Stone.
  • Mark will be opening for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on a run of Australian dates:
    Sat. March 2 SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL Melbourne, VIC
    Sun. March 3 THEBARTON THEATRE Adelaide, NSW
    Wed. … Continue reading

Mark Lanegan Revisited

 

In my efforts to be a (not very on-the-ball) publicity machine for the criminally overlooked talents of Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, The Gutter Twins), here’s another post focusing on just how awesome he is. First, a 4AD session with the Mark Lanegan Band playing four songs from their most recent album, Blues Funeral:


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My favorite Lanegan projects tend to be those where he’s stepping into some one else’s project. Bonus points if he’s in a duet with a soft-voiced female. Which brings me to this cover of the xx’s “Crystalised” in which Lanegan twines his vocals with those of Martina-Topley Bird (with members of Warpaint providing musical accompaniment). Ever since she sang with Lanegan and Greg Dulli on “The Body” (from the Gutter Twins album Saturnalia), I’ve been wishing for a trio album of Dulli, Lanegan, and Topley-Bird. This song is a good consolation prize. A very good consolation prize.

“Crystalised” (The xx cover) – Martina Topley-Bird and Mark Lanegan with Warpaint

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Another great collaboration happened back in 2008 when … Continue reading

Soulsavers: Longest Day

 

The Soulsavers first came to my attention through their work with Mark Lanegan on It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s The Way You Land, and I was bowled over from my first listen of “Revival”.

(Do this: In the evening, after dusk, when the sky is deep blue, just before black, turn out every light and turn on “Revival”. Turn it up loud enough to fill the room and immerse yourself in it as if it was the sea. Feel it push and pull you, gently drift you, threaten to smash you against the jagged rocks just off the coast. Do nothing but listen, let it turn into a meditation. And when the song is over, slowly emerge back into the world, like walking out of the sea onto the sand. Feel a little water-logged, a little battered, with salt in your mouth and grit in your hair, but somehow cleansed)

The band have also put Richard Hawley, Will Oldham, Gibby Haynes, Mike Patton, and Jason Pierce in the singer capacity. This time around, with The Light the Dead See, the Soulsavers are collaborating with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan – who is … Continue reading

Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral

 

It seems we turned a few people on to their new favorite thing the last time we posted about Mark Lanegan. Well, get ready to get happy again, because the Mark Lanegan Band (the heavier, grittier outfit with whom Lanegan recorded 2004’s Bubblegum – which includes one of my favorite of favorite songs, “Methamphetamine Blues”) has a new album coming out next week, Blues Funeral. Here’s a taste with “The Gravedigger’s Song”.

 

 

If you just got as excited as I did when I first listened to that song, you can listen to a stream of the full album at KEXP (U.S.) or Mojo (International).

Blues Funeral will be released on February 6, and the touring begins the next night.

7 Feb New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
9 Feb Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
24 Feb Tromso, SE – Aurora Rock @ Kulturhuset
25 Feb Oslo, NO – Rockerfeller
26 Feb HELSINKI, FI – The Circus
28 Feb GRONINGEN, NL – Oosterpoort
29 Feb AMSTERDAM, NL – Paradiso
1 Mar EINDHOVEN, NL – Effenaar
2 Mar ANTWERP, BE … Continue reading

Mark Lanegan. Enough Said.

Mark Lanegan doesn’t get enough attention, as far as I’m concerned. So, for your Friday enjoyment, here’s a selection of some of my favorite Lanegan-led songs. Warning: knee-melting may occur.

 

Mark Lanegan – “Methamphetamine Blues”


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Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan – “Back Burner”


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Soulsavers, featuring Mark Lanegan – “Revival”


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The Twilight Singers with Mark Lanegan – “Live with Me/Where Did You Sleep Last Night?”


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Mark Lanegan Band – “I’ll Take Care of You”


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Mark Lanegan – “Man in the Long Black Coat”


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Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan – “Come on Over (Turn Me On)”


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Mark Lanegan … Continue reading

Bits: TV on the Radio, Booker T. Jones, J Mascis, Mark Lanegan, Royal Bangs, Patrick Sweany, CXCW, etc.

  • TV on the Radio’s Gerard Smith was diagnosed with lung cancer at the conclusion of recording for the new TVoTR album Nine Types of Light and will be unable to accompany the band on their current tour. A statement on the band’s website throws a hopeful light on Smith’s recovery, and we are sending good thoughts Smith’s way.
  • Head over to the Rolling Stone website to get a taste of the new Booker T. Jones album as he and the Roots cover Lauryn Hill’s “Everything is Everything”.
  • NYC’s Bowery Ballroom will play host to a show celebrating the 10th anniversary of one of my favorite books, Michael Azerrad’s Our Band Could Be Your Life, on May 22.
  • The 2nd installment of Oxford American’s ABALABIP! concert series celebrating Alabama music and music makers will take place on June 4 in Florence, Alabama, and will feature Dexateens, G-Side and Candi Staton.
  • J Mascis’ new acoustic album, Several Shades of Why, is streaming at Spin.
  • A new Mark Lanegan track, “Burning Jacob’s Ladder”, is free to download on the Rage website.
  • And a new Royal Bangs track, “Fireball”, is … Continue reading

Bits: Infantree, Filter, Camu Tao, Robert Wilson, Mark Lanegan, Isobel Campbell

  • If you’ll be in the Los Angeles, California, area on September 14th, get your R.S.V.P. to Infantree and be on the guest list for their album release party.
  • Due to the Cleveland connection, I feel compelled to note that Filter’s new album is streaming at AOL Music. (I’ll just say that it’s no Short Bus.)
  • But on another Ohio-centric tip, the posthumous solo album from Columbus’ Camu Tao (on fabulous Fat Possum Records) is also streaming at AOL Music. (I’m digging it.)
  • Robert Wilson, bassist and one of the three brothers who made up the Gap Band, died this past Sunday at the age of 53.
  • Saying Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell are working together again is becoming a bit like saying Robert Pollard is putting out a new album. They’ve got a good thing going, though, so check out their new video for “You Won’t Let Me Down Again”. The album, Hawk, is streaming on Campbell’s Facebook page.

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Bits: Cadillac Sky, Big Boi, Mark Lanegan & Isobell Campbell, Juniper Tar, Local Natives, Lou Barlow & the missingmen, Suckers

  • Because it’s Cadillac Sky Week here at NTSIB, we have to kick this off by reminding you that their excellent album Letters in the Deep is available NOW. Get it.
  • Hypetrak has a Big Boi song for you to hear and enjoy that re-teams BB with Andre 3000, along with Dungeon Family cohort Sleepy Brown, but which may not appear on Big Boi’s solo joint coming next month due to apparent record label bullshit.
  • Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell are teaming up yet again. Their third collaboration, Hawk, will be released on August 24 with U.S. tour dates in the works.
  • At the time of this writing, there are 18 hours left to help fund the Juniper Tar tour documentary. They have some pretty nifty reward levels, including a private house concert for big-bucks donors in the Milwaukee area.
  • Aquarium Drunkard’s forthcoming (June 22) digital compilation, L’Aventure, a collection of covers from Television’s album Adventure will feature Local Natives doing “Careful”. Hear it here.
  • Lou Barlow has recorded an EP with the missingmen, =Sentridoh III, and Pitchfork has the sweet track “Losercore” Continue reading