Pearl Jam March Madness: Division 3

We're Light Years from where we started, and there are a couple of gems that have been In Hiding.  In this round they're have to be Given to Fly or it's going to be Sad.  You don't have All Those Yesterdays.  You only have the weekend.  VOTE!

Light Years vs. In Hiding
Brain of J vs. No Way
Faithfull vs. Grievance
Sad vs. Strangest Tribe
Do the Evolution vs. Fatal
All Those Yesterdays vs. Cropduster
Insignificance vs. Lowlight
Given to Fly vs. Man of the Hour

How do I vote?

Dave Abbruzzese Wanted by Police

Fans recently uncovered that former Pearl Jam drummer, Dave Abbruzzese (Vs. & Vitalogy) is being sought in the state of Texas for a drug offense.  The warrant is about five months old.  Here's hoping that this will not be a permanent problem for Abbruzzese.

Details Released on Singles Blu-ray

We've spent a month anticipating it, but today Cameron Crowe released the details on April's release of Singles on Blu-ray.  As you hoped, it includes full versions of live performances by Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.

25 Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes including:

• The 16-minute “The Ballad of Janet and Dr. Jeff” compiling the entire relationship between Bridget Fonda and Bill Pullman’s characters
• Extended Tracking Shot Opening
• Mime Club Fight
• What Would The King Do?
• No Games
• Eddie Haskell Redux 

2 "complete take" extras with Bill Pullman and Tad

3 complete live performances from Soundgarden (“Birth Ritual”) and Alice in Chains (“Would?” and “It Ain’t Like That Anymore”)

Gag Reel

Theatrical Trailer

Pearl Jam March Madness: Divisions 2 & 3

It's Hard to Imagine, but we're inching close to the point where we can Hail Hail a victor.  Still, it's a Long Road to Immortality.  VOTE!

Long Road vs. Not For You
Spin the Black Circle vs. In My Tree
Hail Hail vs. Sometimes
Present Tense vs. Hard To Imagine
Last Exit vs. Nothingman
Immortality vs. Off He Goes
Corduroy vs. Betterman
Tremor Christ vs. I Got Id

How do I vote?

Soundgarden Getting Ready for Album #5

With a ton of touring under their belts, we expect Pearl Jam to be on hiatus this year, so it's not surprising that Kim Thayil has mentioned that Soundgarden is heading back into the studio soon to work on their next album with an eye on 2016 for the release.  Riot Act and King Animal producer, Adam Kaspar may be tapped to do the production.  Read more about it at Alternative Nation.

Pearl Jam March Madness: 64 Songs Remaining

Technically, it's 65 due to an emergency vote to fit the forgotten Sad back into the tournament.  The bloody battle of the last round was Got Some vs. tournament newcomer, 10 Billion Years.  What will be the flashpoint this round?  Division 1 awaits!  VOTE!

Rearviewmirror vs. Elderly Woman
Go vs. Indifference
Release vs. Yellow Ledbetter
Alive vs. Breath
Porch vs. Oceans
Daughter vs. Jeremy
Animal vs. State of Love and Trust
Evenflow vs. Black

How do I vote?

March Madness: Division Four, Round Two

It feels like the tournament has been going on for 10 Billion Years, and it may go on for ten billion more.  Are your choices Infallible, or do they swing back and forth like a Pendulum?  Feeling Comatose?  Well, Just Breathe, Let It Ride, and VOTE!

Amongst the Waves vs. Unthought Knwon

Got Some vs. 10 Billion Years

Pendulum vs. Come Back

Lightning Bolt vs. World Wide Suicide

Of the Earth vs. Just Breathe

Infallible vs. Force of Nature

Parachutes vs. Let It Ride

Life Wasted vs. My Father's Son

Mind Your Manners vs. Getaway

Swallowed Whole vs. Severed Hand

Marker in the Sand vs. Speed of Sound (demo)

Comatose vs. Army Reserve

Cold Confession vs. Love Reign O'er Me

Johnny Guitar vs. Yellow Moon

The Fixer vs. Unemployable

Sirens vs. Gonna See My Friend

How do I vote?

The Rockfords Coming to Seattle

Mike McCready had already announced that his label, HockeyTalkter Records was putting on a show at Tractor in Seattle.  Sure, we suspected a Mike appearance, but that wasn't confirmed.

Now, HockeyTalkter has announced a second show, including The Rockfords, so we are certain to see Mike perform.  You'll also get treated to PJ20 performers, The Young Evils and Star Anna.  Put March 3rd on your calendar, and get your tickets here.

Pearl Jam March Madness: Division Three, Round Three

Has your favorite song disappeared into Thin Air?  Will Rival prove Fatal to No Way?  It's time to vote in Divison Three, Round Three.  Polls close late on the 19th.

Thin Air vs. Lowlight

No Way vs. Rival

Brain of J vs. Sleight of Hand

Fatal vs. Wishlist

MFC vs. Insignificance

You Are vs. Education

Breakerfall vs. In Hiding

Given to Fly vs. Nothing As It Seems

Man of the Hour vs. Get Right

Faithfull vs. Parting Ways

Thumbing My Way vs. All Those Yesterdays

Can't Keep vs. Do The Evolution

Grievance vs. I Am Mine

Light Years vs. Love Boat Captain

Strangest Tribe vs. Save You

Of the Girl vs. Cropduster

How do I vote?

Stone Talks Songwriting and Longevity

Last week, Keith Cameron released an interview that he conducted with Stone prior to Pearl Jam's Rock Werchter Festival show this past July.

Stone says that experimentation and exploration are the keys to maintaining excitement about recording with a band for over 20 years.

I think that for two guys like Jeff and I who don’t really have this massive musical talent but who are excited about art and the process of stumbling on and discovering things just by the nature of finding your own little voice and your own little style that grows into something, it’s still fascinates us and it still motivates us.

“Pearl Jam feels as good or better now than it’s ever felt because we’ve stayed with our original intent in terms of doing things as a band, trying to share as much as we can, believing that even if you aren’t at your peak of songwriting prowess that you can get better and you can find your style over time. All those things are still holding true.

He explains how persistence pays off in the long run.

I think in the long run our persistence and stubbornness paid off in the sense that now I think we’re better at challenging ourselves internally. Going back in time and thinking about songs that I hated – ‘Oh, this song’s not a Pearl Jam song’ – and then just loving it 10 years later and going, ‘God, I was just in a shit mood, because I wasn’t in charge of some particular track or it wasn’t going the way I wanted it to’.

... and how the Pearl Jam touring/recording cycle works.

Our tours are three to four weeks maximum and maybe we do at the most three of those in a year. So in the grand scheme of things, if you’re touring 12, 14 weeks out of a 52 week year, compared to most situations you’re still getting a long time at home to refuel and do things. That would be a touring year. We continue to talk about how we’d wanna go about recording, how we wanna change it up… A way of approaching a record that is different. It’s been proven to us that we can take chances and it works out in the long run, even if in the short run it doesn’t feel quite like we achieved what we want it to.

Check out Cameron's full interview here for more information on the transition from Vitalogy to No Code and how the band prepares setlists and prepares for a show.