Pages tagged “the smiths”

Super group fever continues! Members of Wilco, Radiohead and The Smiths will be uniting with iconic singer-songwriter Neil Finn for a charity project named Seven Worlds Collide, a follow-up to Finn's 2002 live LP of the same title.

The tradition of the Coachella Festival in Indio, Calif. reuniting bands is now legendary. As the story goes, the festival organizers were having a hard time getting a headlining band in 2001, so they found a friend to convince Jane's Addiction to get back together and play. Since then, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Pixies, Bauhaus, Gang of Four, Rage Against the Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine have all rejoined for the festival.

Recently in the Paste office, we received a press release about an Oct. 6 event called Gimme Shelter, which will feature Debbie Harry, Moby and Earl Greyhound, and which was described as a “concert benefiting NYC’s at-risk animals.” Being dog-owners ourselves, we were moved by the whole idea—moved, that is, to commemorate Gimme Shelter with a list of other significant collaborations between musicians and animals. We’re sure we missed some good ones. Add yours in the comments.

It seems like all of Johnny Marr’s doubt regarding the new Smiths DVD has dissipated. As previously reported, Marr had been expressing concern with the project due to the way the record company had been handling the band’s music sales and distribution. But faithful '80s Brit-pop fans need not fear: the DVD is a go.

Set for release on Jan. 22, Inside The Smiths will feature bandmates Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce recanting the historical milestones of The Smiths, along with commentary regarding their partnership with Marr and Morrissey. The DVD will also feature remarks and observations from Peter Hook, Mark E Smith and Kaiser Chiefs, amongst others.

Related links:
MorrisseyMusic.com
JMarr.com
Paste: The Smiths Under Review: An Independent Critical Analysis

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

Johnny Marr’s got a barb in his side about the Smiths record label. In an interview with Brit publication The Word, the guitarist says the label is releasing shoddy versions of Smiths albums treating their music like, well, excrement.

But he’s slowly shedding doubt about releasing DVDs, saying, "I was approached by the record company a few years ago with the box set idea, and I was somewhat skeptical until I was sent some live concerts and monitor mixes…Then it started to sound like a really good prospect.”

The Tripwire also reports since Marr now has Modest Mouse on his plate, he has no intentions of running the band on his own. And since Morrissey’s stopped pouting long enough to reply to Marr, prospects for a box set look good. If only soon were now.

Related links:
JMarr.com
The Smiths Under Review: An Independent Critical Analysis
Paste Blog - Ctrl-V: Observations after a Morrissey concert

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

Panic in your DVD player

This 90-minute documentary follows a linear biography of The Smiths’ career, sprinkled with snippets of videos, live footage and copious interviews with journalists, producers and Smiths fifth-wheel guitarist Craig Gannon. As with any unauthorized feature, these conversations focus more on the band’s greatness than on any details of its recordings, songwriting or disputes; historical interviews with Morrissey and Marr are sadly underused. And rather than full versions of the live footage, the DVD’s extras include interviews (with the same journalists and producers) about Morrissey’s and Marr’s solo careers and the so-called “Hardest Smiths Interactive Quiz In the World Ever.” The content isn’t bad, considering it’s the only available Smiths documentary but, sadly, it never delves very deep.