The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
CD Reviews  |  Classical  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features
vote for your favorite bands in Best Music Poll 2011

 01072011_BigHurtYanniagain

A new year, a fresh crop of musical delights! The early part of 2011 has a jam-packed release calendar, so let's check out what's coming in the next couple of months . . .

AMANDA PALMER | Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under | January | Early this year, Palmer will embark on a tour of the axis of insufferable accents that'll include stops in Australia and New Zealand. In conjunction with this antipodean jaunt, she'll release an album entirely on a regional theme. The cover features a topless Palmer with a passport shoved into a pair of Australian-flag panties — which gives you a little nudge to recognize the subtle crotch joke of the title. (Isn't everything she does, on some level, a crotch joke?) Songs include "Vegemite (The Black Death)," "Doctor Oz," and "Map of Tasmania." That last one can be heard now on her website, but beware: it offers occasional dubstep wobblies and unfettered Amanda Palmerism. As always, slightly irritating but not altogether terrible.

CAKE | Showroom of Compassion | January 11 | Just when we all thought we knew exactly, precisely what to always, always expect from a Cake album, John McCrea has gone and changed up the formula. "There are things that I just sort of intentionally avoided for years and years that I allowed to happen," he told soundpike.com. "Like the use of acoustic piano. I felt it sounded too classy, and I didn't want us to sound classy. I'd always studiously avoided using reverb on the vocals, and I allowed that to happen for some reason." Could this new mood of sonic experimentation finally lift Cake to the three-star-review bracket? Will we be able to tell the new single from the previous one without the aid of sophisticated audio-analysis software? Do we still care?

ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES | Go Down Under | February 1 | Ironic punk covers, I have often said, are among the lowest forms of art; they're slightly worse than post-grunge and just a tiny bit better than idiotic collective nouns ("an infuriation of James Liptons"). Punk supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes go one step farther by combining ironic punk covers with hilarious theme albums and wacky matching outfits — they've made a whole career out of this dreadful shit, and we're probably not even allowed to get mad at it because it's all in so much good fucking fun. This time, they're releasing an Aussie-themed record to coincide with their early-2011 Australia tour. Which is a thing now, I gather.

YANNI | Truth of Touch | February 8 | Anyone else feeling slightly molested by that title? It's as if Yanni were greasing up my back and whispering, "The most effective way to make a connection is through the powerful truth of touch. Just relax, and I will gently penetrate your truth chakras. A little lower . . . a little lower . . . "

1  |  2  |   next >
Related: The Big Hurt: Aussie asses sued off, Evelyn Evelyn | Evelyn Evelyn, Photos: Evelyn Evelyn at the House of Blues, More more >
  Topics: Music Features , Entertainment, Music, Bush,  More more >
| More
Add Comment
HTML Prohibited

 Friends' Activity   Popular   Most Viewed 
[ 04/14 ]   The Black Lips + Vivian Girls  @ Paradise Rock Club
[ 04/14 ]   Catherine Opie  @ Institute of Contemporary Art
[ 04/14 ]   Charlie Hunter  @ Scullers
ARTICLES BY DAVID THORPE
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   THE BIG HURT: BRITNEY, BILLY JOEL, JOHN MELLENCAMP, REBECCA BLACK, AND MILEY CYRUS WEIGH THE PRICE OF FAME  |  April 14, 2011
    BRITNEY SPEARS is being sued for $10 million by the company that helped her score a fragrance deal with Elizabeth Arden. It's claiming that she owes it a 35 percent commission on the sales of her popular scents. This boosts my self-esteem a little — say what you will about my fragrance, at least it's never been actionable.
  •   SPRAY-PANCAKE-BATTER 'FAT CATS' STRIKE BACK!  |  April 11, 2011
    Two weeks ago, in a round-up of "inessential" press releases, I discussed Batter Blaster, a spray-on-pancake-batter company that had delved into the world of rock by offering free, hip, indie songs to fans of high-tech breakfast products.  
  •   BIG HURT: CHRIS BROWN'S PROBLEMATIC TIMING  |  March 31, 2011
    Last Tuesday was an awkward day for MTV.com and the rest of the Chris Brown promotional forgiveness machine — on the same day that his career-saving comeback album was dropped, he appeared on Good Morning America and became incensed by pre-vetted questions regarding his assault on Rihanna.
  •   THE BIG HURT: PANCAKES! LENT! GOLF!  |  March 24, 2011
    March has been a true delight in the music-PR department — I haven't seen this many dumbshit stunts since Jackass 3D . Let's roll up our sleeves and thrust our hands elbow deep into a steaming pile of press releases:
  •   THE BIG HURT: THE TORMENTS OF PHIL, PLUS BIEBS'S 'STACHE, SIMPSON'S SNOOP POOP  |  March 18, 2011
    A thrilling roller-coaster of PHIL COLLINS drama this week. First, a murmur washed over the media as Collins seemed to announce his retirement in an FHM interview.

 See all articles by: DAVID THORPE

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2011 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group