Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Soundgarden: Echo of Miles

So, the other Soundgarden shoe has dropped.  If you listened to Storm yesterday, you'll be happy to know that you can now pre-order that song on iTunes as part of collection of b-sides coming out November 24th, called Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path.  Fans have been begging for this since before the break-up, and now here it is.


TRACKLISTNG


Disc 1
1. Sub Pop Rock City
2. Toy Box
3. Heretic
4. Fresh Deadly Roses
5. H.I.V. Baby
6. Cold Bitch
7. Show Me
8. She’s A Politician
9. Birth Ritual
10. She Likes Surprises
11. Kyle Petty, Son of Richard
12. Exit Stonehenge
13. Blind Dogs
14. Bleed Together
15. Black Rain
16. Live To Rise
17. Kristi
18. Storm
Disc 2
1. Swallow My Pride
2. Smokestack Lightnin’
3. Everybody’s Got Something
4. Thank You
5. Come Together
6. Stray Cat Blues
7. Into The Void
8. Girl U Want
9. Touch Me (Friday Rock Show)
10. Can You See Me? (Friday Rock Show)
11. Homicidal Suicidal (Friday Rock Show)
12. I Can’t Give You Anything (Friday Rock Show)
13. I Don’t Care About You (Friday Rock Show)
14. Waiting For The Sun (Live)
15. Search And Destroy (Live)
16. Big Bottom (Live)
17. Earache My Eye (Live)
Disc 3
1. Twin Tower
2. Jerry Garcia’s Finger
3. Ghostmotorfinger
4. Night Surf
5. A Splice Of Space Jam
6. The Telephantasm
7. Black Days III
8. Karaoke
9. Fopp (Fucked Up Remix)
10. Big Dumb Sex (Dubbed)
11. Spoonman (Steve Fisk Remix)
12. Rhinosaur (The Straw That Broke The Rhino’s Back)
13. Dusty (Moby Remix)
14. The Telephantasm (Resurrection Remix)
15. One Minute Of Silence

Monday, October 27, 2014

Mike McCready: Music For Film


Mike McCready has been talking up a solo album for a couple of decades now.  It appears as though the closest thing will be on its way soon.

Amazon is currently taking pre-orders on a vinyl-only compilation of music written and performed by Mike McCready from the films Pearl Jam Twenty and We Bought a Zoo called Music For Film.  The album is produced by Cameron Crowe's music label, Vinyl Film Records.

TRACKLISTING
1. Be Like Water
2. Be Like Wind
3. Corner Store
4. Last Medicine Dance
5. Ashley Collective
6. Throwing Arrows

No word on whether to expect this on CD or digital release, but keep your eyes out.  Without an official announcement from Pearl Jam or Crowe, there could be news on the horizon.


Ed to Play Shepherds Bush with The Who


The Who announced today, via Facebook, that Ed would be joining them on November 11th in London to celebrate their 50th Anniversary.
Tickets for An Evening Of Who Music In Aid Of Teenage Cancer Trust are on sale from 9am Friday 31st October from: 
www.ticketmaster.co.uk
www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk
https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
www.thewho.com

Rare Reunions Rule at Bridge School


Over two nights at the Bridge School Benefit, Pearl Jam shared the stage with some old friends and reformed two awesome supergroups.  Both nights, Chris Cornell sat in to create Temple of the Dog and the band played Hunger Strike both nights.



And on the second night, Neil Young took the stage with his old backing band from Mirror Ball to perform Throw Your Hatred Down from that album.

Soundgarden Release New Song: Storm


The press release is not very wordy, and there is no mention of whether Cameron played on this track, but since Pearl Jam was not on tour at the time of the recording, we can only assume it's him.
Listen to Soundgarden’s “Storm,” recorded in May this year with producer Jack Endino in Seattle. Stream it here: http://vevo.ly/Wj2VIU

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Ed to Play Epidermolysis Bullosa Benefit in Seattle, October 30th


Today, Pearl Jam announced that:
Eddie Vedder is holding a private and intimate solo show in Seattle on October 30 to raise money to cure EB Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). All proceeds from the contest will benefit the EB Research Partnership. Learn more at PearlJam.com.
Only two tickets are being made available to the public.  You can win those tickets plus airfare and y accommodations by donating $10 here.
Each entry is $10 and you can donate as many times as you’d like to increase your chances to win. ($10 one chance, $20 two chances, $50 five chances, etc.)

This contest is open through Monday, October 27th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen and contacted Tuesday, October 28th.

All proceeds from these tickets and the contest benefit the EB Research Partnership whose mission is to find a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Happy Birthday, Pearl Jam!

" [...] half of Mother Love Bone, the guitarist from Shadow, a local drummer, and some random singer from San Diego convened on a stage for the very first time. They’d only known each other for days, and had been holed up together making up song after song. Now it was time to audition this singer – this “Eddie” guy – live. So at the last minute, they got themselves onto a bill at the Off Ramp. Someone had the foresight to videotape, and fans have been watching this show for well over a decade."

October 22: Pearl Jam in Denver



Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Mason Jennings and Stone 7-Inch Single Sells Out in One Hour


Stone has collaborated with American pop-folk singer-songwriter, Mason Jennings, on a 7" single.  It includes two songs, Knife Fight and Caught In A Mess.  Autographed vinyl went up for sale at the Ten Club about an hour ago, but the limited run has already sold out.  Check back for more updates, but there are no promises.

Pearl Jam Drops Yield in Milwaukee


Well, there aren't enough shows to finish off the discography, but it looks like Pearl Jam has done it again.  Last night, for the fourth time only, they played a full album in order during their show in Milwaukee.  This time, we enjoyed Yield.


Monday, October 20, 2014

Hold Your Head Up Single For Record Store Day


There will be one "Pearl Jam" release for November's Record Store Day (November 28th).  The surviving members of Mother Love Bone have put together a 7" single of Hold Your Head Up and an unreleased song, Holy Roller.  Here's the information from the Record Store Day website:
Limited edition single includes a never-before-released studio recording cover of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" and an unreleased version of "Holy Roller" from the recording sessions during the making of Apple.

October 20: Pearl Jam in Milwaukee



Sunday, October 19, 2014

Pearl Jam Rough Cuts: A Review



It looks like Christmas came early this year. A series of 11 very rough cuts from the S/T sessions has come to the surface. It contains very early versions of Life Wasted, Severed Hand, and Big Wave, two more songs with vocals - Open Road and 10 Billion Years (stone) - and 6 additional instrumentals. An impressive amount of material, though only 10 Billion Years is at the level of completion we got with Cold Confession and Let it Ride.

Still, even with the rough state of these songs this is a revelation that sheds a whole new light on the S/T sessions. The closest parallel we have was the way Lost Dogs expanded Binaural’s universe. But those new songs felt like they belonged on Binaural. While throwing on Sad or Fatal or Education might have enhanced the album, it didn’t fundamentally alter it. You could mix and match the songs to make the album your own, but it’s still Binaural.

This is something different. These songs, for the most part, don’t really belong on S/T—not the finished version of it, anyway. They’re looser and sloppier, more open, organic, playful—and on occasion thoughtlessly beautiful. Granted what we have are songs in their early stages, but they are less intense and focused. They document the experience of guys playing in a room together for the love of making music, rather than people coming together to make a statement. And these songs can’t help but make you wonder what else S/T could have been if the band didn’t feel that Riot Act required its musical negation, or what Pearl Jam would be if they didn’t feel the need to always sound like ‘Pearl Jam’. If nothing else, these songs bridge the gap between the record and a song like Cold Confession, whose presence in the S/T sessions now makes sense.

What it means when Pearl Jam says they write songs for their live show also becomes apparent with this leak. These songs are long, meandering, and easy to get lost in. They could have made for an excellent album, but probably would be out of place with the revival atmosphere and dynamic pacing of the shows that defines the Riot Act -> live experience.

Okay, so let’s take a look at what we have:

2X4 (instrumental) (4:24) 
Pretty cool song—has some of the jagged elements of Tremor Christ refracted through a punk sensibility that circles around itself in a lighthearted way that feels sharp without ever actually cutting.

THE ONLY CLOUD IN THE SKY (instrumental) (4:49)
I’m pretty sure there are parts of this song used in the Immagine in Cornice DVD. One of those songs that starts pointing towards Cold Confession. Pretty without being showy, and thoughtful without being overly pensive, like a radiohead song minus the claustrophobic alienation. A mature song, in a good way. It seems to be grasping for something while being self-aware enough to question whether or not it deserves to have it—though in the end it decides that it does.

LIFE WASTED (vocal rough mix) (4:13)
Very rough vocal mix. The melody is there but the lyrics are incomplete (or different). Slightly less abrasive than the studio version, which will be a plus for many people, but it still has the same gritty attitude. And we get the whole outro solo (though sections are absent during the final chorus) without the second most irritating fade out in the entire pearl jam catalog (Lightning Bolt has it beat). Life Wasted has always been one of my very favorite Pearl Jam songs, so it’s a bit of a treat to watch it develop.

SEVERED HAND (vocal rough mix) (4:12)
Like Life Wasted this is still in its pretty early stages. Part of my issue with the final studio version is that it didn’t sound as huge as it wanted to be. The home recording feel of these demos steers this away from anthem and closer towards garage rock, which probably does the song some favors. In particular it gives the final solo a bit more life. I always thought it disappointed a bit on the record, especially when you had the monstrous Life Wasted Solo occurring just a few songs prior

THE BIGGER THE WAVE (vocal rough mix) (3:01)
This is Big Wave before it was about crustaceans. This may have been my favorite discovery. It’s rougher, but somehow groovier, than the studio version. It also feels more natural, has a better bridge, and rocks harder by trying less hard. Big Wave was always a pleasant enough but ultimately forgettable track. But The Bigger the Wave is actually pretty strong.

OPEN DOOR (Vocal rough mix) (6:24)
This sounds exactly like one of those meandering improvs from the late 90s/early 2000s period that people used to go nuts for. There’s a compelling, plaintive edge to Eddie’s vocals that call to mind Cold Confession. The song starts out slow and overly familiar, but the fact that it is in no rush to make its point or take the listener somewhere means that you get the time and space to get pulled in, and by halfway through the song I’m committed. The ‘bridge’—which basically feels like a less clean version of what we’ve been hearing—drags a bit but I’m immediately sucked back in when Eddie starts up again. This is a lovely performance by him. Odd ending though—it sounds a bit too much like the start of Education.

REARRANGED FURNITURE (instrumental) (4:04)
Has the muscular feel of Let It Ride but without being so deathly serious. These ‘lighter’ songs definitely benefit from the scruffier production.

REARRANGED PRIORITIES (instrumental) (4:19)
I like this one a lot. Flows nicely from Rearranged Furniture, further softened with an acoustic guitar, and even more playful. If the Fixer was less earnest it might have ended up sounding a bit more like this. It’s really a shame this never turned into a song (or one we’ve heard, anyway). There’s a palpable ‘joy of playing music with my friends’ feel to this song that rarely makes it onto the albums but is all over the live experience.

10 BILLION YEARS (vocal rough mix) (6:00)
Stone’s on vocals here, and he sounds really good. This is a very pretty song, in the same slightly country vein of a song like Off He Goes or Thin Air (I may like this one more than those two, actually, though they were never favorites of mine). Simple repetitive lyrics that end up becoming fairly poignant by the end. This was a gem.

LUCKY 13 (Litho demo) (4:29)
I presume this is a Matt song. It sounds a bit like a Wellwater Conspiracy number.

BREEZE IN D (instrumental) (5:10)
A friendly barroom handshake of a song.

Overall this was an awesome little surprise. I really like the Big Wave demo. 10 Billion Years is Beautiful. 2x4 and Rearranged Priorities are very solid instrumentals. The Only Cloud In the Sky could have been a great song if they wanted it to be. There’s a different band on display here then we’ve gotten on the last three albums. And while Backspacer and Lightning Bolt are two of my favorite Pearl Jam albums, I definitely wouldn’t mind hearing them spend some time exploring this side of the music.

October 19: Pearl Jam in St. Paul



Saturday, October 18, 2014

Moline, Illinois


For those of you who don't use Twitter, we should let you know that last night, in Moline, Illinos, Pearl Jam performed the album, No Code, from front to back as part of the show.  It's only the third time in history that they've done it.  The others being Munich in 1992 when they played Ten and Torino in 2006 when they played Pearl Jam (aka "Avocado").  I'd love to say there is a trend afoot, but it looks like you'll just have to go to as many concerts as you can with your fingers crossed!

Eddie also busted out an improv just for Moline, or maybe it's a new song, only time will tell.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Music and Mugs


While Pearl Jam traverses the Mighty Mississippi the Ten Club keeps rolling out new items.  This week they announced several new items: enamel mugs, a sweatshirt, and a lumber jacket.

Perhaps more exciting for die hard fans, the 2014 North American bootlegs have been scheduled already.


Releases start next week and all of this tour's bootlegs will be available by Black Friday.



Thursday, October 9, 2014

October 9: Pearl Jam in Lincoln

... ending a 8,390 day Pearl Jam drought for Nebraska.

This picture was taken San Franscisco, but this is what the band looked like the last time they visited Nebraska!


Thursday, October 2, 2014

Ed Cuts a Spot in Support of EB Research

You may have heard about Ed's support of the Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Partnership before.  He has even done a couple of private shows, one of which resulted in an ... um ... interesting Fan Club Single last year. This week, he cut a spot to encourage donation toward the cause.

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam discusses Epidermolysis Bullosa, a devastating skin condition, along with Dr. Jakub Tolar, a leading researcher, and brave kids and grownups who battle EB every day. Learn more at http://ebresearch.org and donate at https://donate.ebresearch.org/



Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Austin Pearl Jam Pop-Up Shop

In preparation for the October 5th and 12th shows in Austin, Texas, Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop (400 Nueces St., Austin, TX 78701will be hosting a Pearl Jam Pop-Up Shop on four different days featuring a great collection of Austin-specific goods.  Items, prices, and schedule are below.


Thursday October 2: 2pm-7pm.
Monday October 6: 11am- until ?
Thursday October 9: 2pm-7pm.
Monday October 13: 11am- until ?


Full product line including a limited range of ACL event merch.
Event merch limited to two shirt, two posters and two buttons for each weekend.
There will be a reserve of merch held back for the Festival Grounds.
Shop early and avoid carrying your stuff around the Festival.
Mellow Johnny's is located close to most downtown hotels.
Quantities Limited
All times Central
Dates and times subject to change.

October 1: Pearl Jam in Cincinnati