Friday, February 27, 2015

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 Of the Girl
Insignificance vs. Lowlight
Given to Fly vs. Man of the Hour

How do I vote?

Thursday, February 26, 2015

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.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

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?

Monday, February 23, 2015

Soundgarden Getting Ready for Album #7


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?

Friday, February 20, 2015

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?

Thursday, February 19, 2015

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.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

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?

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

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.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Pearl Jam March Madness: The Wonderful One-Twenty-Eight, Division 2


Does Rodman have the chops to take Black Red Yellow over Corduroy?  Can Olympic Platinum get the gold over Sometimes?  Maybe these puns Bug you.  Maybe they're Not For You.  Only voting can eliminate songs and make them Hard to Imagine.

Smile vs. Betterman
Corduroy vs. Black Red Yellow
Who You Are vs. Spin the Black Circle
In My Tree vs. Deadman
Not for You vs. Bugs
Long Road vs. Happy When I'm Crying
Habit vs. Hard to Imagine
Whipping vs. Off He Goes
Hail Hail vs. Around the Bend
Present Tense vs. Red Mosquito
Immortality vs. Lukin
Olympic Platinum vs. Sometimes
I've Got Id vs. Sunburn
Tremor Christ vs. I'm Open
Nothingman vs. Gremmie Out of Control
Last Exit vs. Satan's Bed


How do I vote? 

Friday, February 13, 2015

Pearl Jam March Madness: The Wonderful One-Twenty-Eight, Divisions 1 & 3


Can we still call it "Madness" if it's slightly less mad by the time we get to March?  Maybe the madness is from fans who didn't vote, but are angry that their favorite song didn't make the cut.  Don't let that be you!  Here's how the first 16 match-ups of the 128 shapes up.

Animal vs. Footsteps
Rearviewmirror vs. Why Go
Oceans vs. Glorified G
Breath vs. Wash
Indifference vs. Deep
Once vs. Yellow Ledbetter
Daughter vs. Garden
Jeremy vs. Blood
Release vs. Sonic Reducer
Alive vs. Leash
Elderly Woman vs. Crazy Mary
Go vs. Rats
State of Love and Trust vs. Dirty Frank
Even Flow vs. Cready Stomp
Black vs. Hold On
Porch vs. Brother


How do I vote? 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Soundgarden To Play Canada’s Big Music Festival


Soundgarden has announced that they'll be heading to Kitchener, Ontario this summer for Canada's Big Music Festival.  Tickets go on sale this Friday.  Check out the full announcement below.
Soundgarden is to play Canada’s Big Music Festival in Kitchener, ON on Saturday July 11. Special guest will be Jane’s Addiction. Weekend tickets will be available for purchase as of Friday, February 13 at 10:00 a.m. EST on bigmusicfest.com or 1.866.943.8849 to charge by phone. Tickets are priced at $88.50 for single-day and $150 for two-day general admission access. A limited number of single-day VIP reserved seating tickets will be available for $139.50. Applicable taxes and service fees will be charged at time of purchase.

Pearl Jam March Madness: Final Preliminary Round


You have one more round to vote in before we're down to a more manageable, 64 song, tournament.  Let's see how the next round shapes up.


Rival vs. Hitchhiker
Whale Song vs. Do the Evolution
Love Boat Captain vs. Help Help
In Hiding vs. Pilate
Wishlist vs. 4/20/02
Breakerfall vs. Ghost
Save You vs. Gods' Dice
Sleight of Hand vs. Bu$hleaguer
Evacuation vs. Brain of J
Light Years vs. U
Arc vs. Strangest Tribe
Harmony vs. Can't Keep
No Way vs. Soon Forget
Fatal vs. 1/2 Full
Last Kiss vs. You Are
Leatherman vs. Education

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Smooth Talkin' & Time

Photo via Eddie Vedder Appreciation Society
Today two songs surfaced from Eddie Vedder's first band, Indian Style.  The band featured Ed, Style, Mattie Tabasco, Brad Wilk (drummer for Rage Against the Machine).  The two rough demos, Smooth Talkin' and Time are floating in the Internet and available in the places where such things hide (Hint: comments to this post will be ignored).  If you can enjoy the songs, good for you, if not, we at least offer a review by our resident critic, Stip.

/////


I was cleaning out some old files the other day and stumbled across a hard copy of the essay I used for my college applications. I was very proud of it at the time, but it was just terrible.  Still, if you squint at it the right way you can see the faint outlines of something that, with time and practice, might have some potential.   Fortunately, no one gives a shit about me, so there isn’t much of an internet market for my high school work.

Eddie Vedder isn’t so lucky, and tonight we were ‘treated’  to some leaked songs from one of Eddie’s Indian Style (featuring Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave fame and the vocal stylings of one Edward Lewis Severson III).   If you listen to these tracks with an eye towards history you can learn a few interesting things about Eddie’s roots, and the kind of singer he would become.  But they certainly aren’t worth your time otherwise, and it is kind of surreal to listen to these songs and imagine that two of the people responsible would become part of two of the more influential bands in music history within the next five years.

The two tracks that surfaced, Smooth Talkin’ and Time, are basically wanna be Red Hot Chili Peppers songs that have read descriptions of white funk rock, have even heard a few songs, but have utterly failed to capture even the slightest sense of what makes it tick.  The lyrics are a mix of party rock with early ham fisted attempts at the statement messaging that Eddie can be so good at, especially in Time.   Anyone reading this knows how much time I usually spend dissecting lyrics, but I promise you we both have better things to do this evening.  As songs, these are just terrible, and it’s hard to imagine that the person who brought you Time had already allegedly written Betterman, one of the finest pop songs of its era.  Even Bad Radio had moments in some of their better songs that pointed the way to something bright. Not here.

Having said that, these songs do showcase Eddie’s early Motown influences, and he’s actually pretty decent at that style  (which creeps into parts of Ten in subtle and interesting ways).  It’s just that the base songs are so weak that Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five couldn’t make this worth your while.  

It’s a shame the songs aren’t better, because I do love how Eddie sounded back then.  It’s  immature, and his voice is missing the gravity he would find on Ten, but that  sports car shine of those early Ten rehearsals is still there.   The sound quality is what you’d expect from 30 years of mix tape transfers.

The songs are…not good. But the embarrassing shit we did in high school helped get us where we are today.  I hope Eddie has a sense of humor about these songs.     He should, just like a supermodel should be able to laugh at a terrible prom photo.     And here’s hoping we get a Shadow leak sometime soon.

Monday, February 9, 2015

New Round of Pearl Jam March Madness


We have started narrowing down March Madness to a more manageable 128 songs.  Who will still be standing when March begins?  Only you can say.  Vote now!

Cropduster vs. Foldback
I Am Mine vs. In the Moonlight
Push Me/Pull Me vs. Parting Ways
MFC vs. Hummus
Of the Girl vs. All or None
Faithful vs. Nothing As It Seems (demo)
Thin Air vs. Undone
Low Light vs. Green Disease
Drifting vs. Grievance
Insignificance vs. Don't Believe in Christmas
Someday at Christmas vs. Thumbing My Way
All Those Yesterdays vs. Down
Other Side vs. Man of the Hour
Puzzles & Games vs. Get Right
Thunderclap vs. Nothing As It Seems
Given to Fly vs. Anything In Between
Lukin vs. Mankind
Leaving Here vs. Black Red Yellow
Spin the Black Circle vs. Falling Down
Stupid Mop vs. Happy When I'm Crying
Red Mosquito vs. Out of My Mind

Sunday, February 8, 2015

... And the Winner Is!


Pearl Jam brought home a Grammy today for best album packaging on Lightning Bolt.  Congratulations to Jeff Ament, Don Pendleton, Joe Spix, Jerome Turner, and the band!


Saturday, February 7, 2015

Pearl Jam March Madness: Round 2 Is Underway!


It's time for you to vote which "later era" songs will progress towards the Final Four.  Voting is open through the weekend.  Here's how Round 2 shapes up!

I Just Wanna Have Something To Do vs. Anything In Between
I'm Still Here vs. Nothing As It Seems (demo)
Sweet Lew vs. Hummus
Soon Forget vs. Red Dot
Sweet Lew (demo) vs. U
Gone (demo) vs. 10 Billion Years
Devil Doll vs. Sirens
Turning Mist vs. Gonna See My Friend
The Fixer vs. Lucky 13
Open Door vs. Unemployable
Rearranged Priorities vs. Johnny Guitar
Yellow Moon vs. Better Things
Future Days vs. Love Reign O'er Me
Breeze in D vs. Comatose
Only Cloud in the Sky vs. Army Reserve
Speed of Sound (demo) vs. Speed of Sound
Supersonic vs. Swallowed Whole
Severed Hand vs. Rearranged Furniture
2X4 vs. Getaway
Infallible vs. Wasted Resprise
Force of Nature vs. Santa God
Golden State vs. Life Wasted
Be Like Wind vs. My Father's Son
Inside Job vs. Of The Earth
Just Breathe vs. Jingle Bells
Olé vs. Let It Ride
Santa Cruz vs. Lightning Bolt
The End vs. World Wide Suicide
Pendulum vs. Let the Records Play
Big Wave vs. Come Back
Amongst the Waves vs. Sleeping By Myself
Gone vs. Unthought Known

How do I vote?

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

What Are Mike, Lady Gaga, and Sir Paul McCartney Up To?


Lady Gaga instagramed that picture today thanking Paul McCartney "and friends" for their work on a secret project.
Had a beautiful session with Sir Paul McCartney and friends. Working on one of his many secret projects! Killer musicians, vibe, and lots of laughs.
I see someone I know among those friends!  Errr!  I hate secrets.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Pearl Jam March Madness Round 1 Begins!


Yes, it's February 3rd, but in order for madness to ensue during the month of March, Pearl Jam March Madness must begin today!  Previous winners are Insignificance (2014), Tremor Christ (2011), Black (2009, 2006), Immortality (2008), Corduroy (2007), and I Got Shit (2005).

This year, the field is broken into divisions based on eras.  Will that shake up the results?  Does Pendulumorphosis have what it takes to break into this game?

Division 1: 1991-1993
Division 2: 1994-1997
Division 3: 1998-2005 
Division 4: 2006-2015



HOW DO YOU PLAY?

Head over to the Red Mosquito Forum.  Each thread is a match between two songs.  Just vote in each thread, discuss your vote if you like, and hang tight for the next round to begin.

Here's how the first division will begin.

Brother vs. Acoustic #1
2000 Miles Blues vs. Cready Stomp
Master/Slave vs. Hold On
Garden vs. WMA
Blood vs. Angel
Footsteps vs. Chinese
Wishing Well vs. Dirty Frank
Sonic Reducer vs. Just a Girl
Alone vs. Why Go
Crazy Mary vs. Dissident
Let Me Sleep vs. Leash
Rats vs. I've Got a Feeling
Bee Girl vs. Deep

Pendulumorphosis Has Arrived

Check your mailboxes, the 2014 Fan Club Single has begun to arrive.


Of course, we already knew that Side A would be Eddie's performance of John Lennon's Imagine from his solo show in Meco, Portugal on July 18, 2014.  As the single starts arriving in mailboxes, we have found out that Side B is a Pendulum instrumental used as an intro to several shows called, Pendulumorphosis, which features Jeff on Piano, Keyboards, and Paintstrings (or maybe, Paint, Strings).  

Warm up your turntables and look for this goodie to arrive soon!  Digital versions for Fan Club members are forthcoming.



Yield Turns 17


Happy Birthday, Boom Gaspar!