Sights and Sounds: Chris Cornell, Grizzly Bear, Muse

There is plenty of big news in the world of music, with all of it sadly overshadowed by the death of Chris Cornell...

Very sad news that Chris Cornell of Audioslave and Soundgarden has died at the age of 52.

 AXS TV remembers the life and legacy of rock legend Cornell with a special presentation of the profile doc SOUND OFF WITH MATT PINFIELD: CHRIS CORNELL airing Saturday, May 20, at 7:30pE/4:30pP, with encores on Sunday, May 21 at 9aE/6aP, and Monday, May 22 at 11:30pE/8:30pP. As an accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Cornell cemented his place in music history as a key part of Seattle’s revolutionary rock scene in the 1990s, redefining the sound of a generation with his GRAMMY®-winning band Soundgarden. Cornell would go on to enjoy a highly successful run with the acclaimed supergroup Audioslave, as well as a celebrated solo career. He passed away today, at the age of 52. 

The SOUND OFF episode is hosted by rock guru Matt Pinfield, and gives viewers unique insight into the story of who Cornell was as an artist, as told in his own words. During the candid interview, Cornell sits down to discuss his groundbreaking career as front man of the influential rock giants Soundgarden and Audioslave, and the creative process behind his second solo album CARRY ON, which was released in June of that year. 

Launched in July 2012 by visionary entrepreneur CEO Mark Cuban, AXS TV is dedicated to providing groundbreaking music programming, stand-up comedy performances from today’s top comedians, and hard-hitting mixed martial arts promotions. The network’s hit franchise series include THE BIG INTERVIEW with Dan Rather; ROCK & ROLL ROAD TRIP WITH SAMMY HAGAR; THE WORLD’S GREATEST TRIBUTE BANDS; GOTHAM COMEDY LIVE; and AXS TV FIGHTS.

  

You can learn more here.

Grizzly Bear has will return with its new album Painted Ruins on Aug. 18, 2017, and will tour in support of the new LP. It has been five years since the troupe released their fourth album, Shields, so anticipation is high for the new disc. 

Painted Ruins Tracklist: 
01. Wasted Acres
02. Mourning Sound
03. Four Cypresses
04. Three Rings
05. Losing All Sense
06. Aquarian
07. Cut-Out
08. Glass Hillside
09. Neighbors
10. Systole
11. Sky Took Hold

Get all the details on the new album and hear the a track off the release on Paste here.

Muse have released a new single titled "Dig Down," available now. The track is accompanied by a video directed by Lance Drake and features Lauren Wasser.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Matt Bellamy said:

"When I was writing this song, I was looking to counteract the current negativity in the world and give inspiration, optimism and hope to people to fight for the causes they believe in; that as individuals we can choose to change the world if we want to."

Watch the video HERE.

Of the video, Lance Drake said the following:

"The song is about survival and fighting the odds - when I heard this song I knew I wanted to do an action packed narrative. I'd heard about Lauren a year or so ago, I read her story and she gave me personal inspiration so I'd always kept her in mind to shoot with one day. The power of the song made me think of her ... so I wrote the video narrative based on Lauren's story and how she overcame the odds."

To learn more about Lauren's inspiring story watch her TED talk HERE.

Muse will be on tour in North America this Summer with Thirty Seconds To Mars and PRVIS in support. The band will appear at Reading & Leeds in the UK, headlining for the third time. 

Muse Live Dates

20-May	West Palm Beach, FL	Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
21-May	Tampa, FL	MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
3-Jun	Nashville, TN	Ascend Amphitheatre
6-Jun	Atlanta, GA	Lakewood Amphitheatre
8-Jun	New Orleans, LA	Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square
10-Jun	Austin, TX	Austin 360 Amphitheatre
12-Jun	Kansas City, MO	Starlight Theatre
13-Jun	St. Louis, MO	Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
15-Jun	Charlotte, NC	PNC Music Pavilion**
18-Jul	Toronto, ONT	Budweiser Stage
22-Jul	Wantagh, NY	Jones Beach Theater
1-Aug	Burgettstown, PA	KeyBank Pavilion
15-Sep	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre
18-Sep	Red Rocks, CO	Red Rocks Amphitheatre
20-Sep	Salt Lake City	USANA Amphitheatre

Saturday evening at Coachella Weekend 2: Sigur Rós, Grizzly Bear, Descendents, Guards, Two Door Cinema Club

Here is my review originally posted on The Orange County Register Web site on Sunday, April 21, 2013. This post reflects my coverage extending from Guards' performance in the early afternoon on April 20 to Sigur Rós' set which ended around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, April 21. A long day and night to be sure!


 

Jónsi of Sigur Rós. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Coachella 2013: Guards, Grizzly Bear, Sigur Rós and Descendents stand out

Running from stage to stage and processing a wide range of performances that play out on any day at Coachella is as challenging as it is exhilarating. In all, I managed to catch complete or partial sets from 11 acts across Day 2. Here's my highlight reel.

Guards, a buzzing band out of New York City with roots in O.C.-spawned group Willowz, was one of the day's earliest performers and made the most of a 30-minute slot with an ambitious, involving display in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Gobi.

The quartet utilized big dynamics and strong material off its debut, In Guards We Trust, with singer-guitarist Richie Follin and singer-keyboardist Kaylie Church fusing nicely. The group's sound mixed heavy guitar, keyboard shadings and pleasing melodies artfully presented on "Coming True," achieving a huge finale that suggests big things are in store on their upward trajectory.

Grizzly Bear attracted an overflow crowd to Mojave. The group's recordings are a wonder, blending experimental and melodic elements in ways that the Brooklyn quartet (expanded to a five-piece via a touring keyboardist) nonetheless explores more deeply live. Soundscape highlights, enhanced by long-tailed lights that floated up and down: the '60s-tinged vibe of "Knife" and the adventurous "On a Neck, On a Spit," with its climb from sparse, almost acoustic launch to driving, dramatic finale.

The members of Descendents may well be middle-age men, but in a raucous performance filled with old-school punk gems ("I Don't Want to Grow Up" and "I'm Not a Loser" stormed mightily) their set served as a reminder that simple, straight-ahead melodic hardcore can still thrill. A devoted crowd gathered in front of the Outdoor Theatre to catch the Milo Aukerman-led South Bay group firing at full strength 35 years after its founding.

Northern Irish quartet Two Door Cinema Club serves up high-energy indie rock built out of propulsive rhythms and synth-pop stylings, but that lively approach was the perfect fit for the same stage earlier in the night, as the air began to cool. The large grassy space became a giant outdoor dance floor from the minute the group tore into "Sleep Alone" to kick off a 50-minute turn.

Singer and rhythm guitarist Alex Trimble's sweet tenor and Sam Halliday's sharp leads brought added layers to the free and fun approach on "Do You Want It All?" (complete with a dazzling light display) and "Someday," bolstered by a distinctive guitar line. The group teamed with the excitable faithful on "The World Is Watching," thousands of fans singing the lyric recorded by Valentina for Two Door's album Beacon.

Outdoor Theatre headliner Sigur Rós offered an understandably abbreviated version of its current two-hour concerts, but as Saturday stretched into early Sunday, the ambient Icelandic heroes didn't cut corners in terms of the power they can unleash in both established and new material.

For more than an hour, despite having to overcome volume bleed from Phoenix's set on the main stage, the churning, sometimes symphonic mix of post-rock and neo-classical was presented by the core trio abetted by eight other musicians (including string and brass sections) plus impressive visual art.

Though lead singer and guitarist Jónsi sings in Hopelandic (the band's own language), most in the audience didn't seem too concerned about gleaning any direct messages from the songs, gluing themselves instead to the intensity of the ethereal music.

Jónsi in action. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

The joyful "Hoppipolla," accompanied by images of falling lights, and the more haunting "Festival" represented the two sides of Sigur Ros' unique style. Another chilling moment: the title track off coming album Kveikur. Onto a gigantic rear screen morphed an animated racing horse, as a thundering drum beat cut through the night and Jonsi used his cello bow on his guitar in a graceful dance with the sight of thundering hooves.

Coachella or Not, Hear This!

There have been countless rumors racing around the internet about some of the artists that are likely to play at Coachella 2013 with Blur, Grizzly Bear, Alabama Shakes and Beach House definitely a big part of that online buzz-fest. But no matter whether any or all four wind up in Indio this April their latest high profile releases are definitely worth picking up. All are available now.

Artist: Blur

Title: Parklive - Deluxe Edition (EMI)

You might be interested if you like: The Kinks, XTC

Tell me more: Few bands have returned from an extended hiatus with the kind of fiery excitement that greeted Blur when they returned from a six-year break to reconquer in 2009. The latest leap in Blur's revival is gloriously chronicled on the five-disc Parklive, featuring a fantastic concert film that captured their turn at London's Hyde Park in connection with the closing of the Olympic Games in August 2012. Four other CDs featuring live performances captured in summer 2012, including a couple of new songs ("Under the Westway," "The Puritan") that showcase a band still at the top of its game. Housed in a fantastic hardbound book loaded with color photos, Parklive is worth its price. Note: a single-disc DVD set and two-disc CD featuring the aforementioned Hyde Park show are each available. Information: www.blur.co.uk or www.liveherenow.com. 

Artist: Grizzly Bear

Title: Shields (Warp Records)

You might be interested if you like: Radiohead, Other Lives 

Tell me more: Those who thought Grizzly Bear's fantastic 2009 album Veckatimest would be the Brooklyn, New York outfit's crowning masterwork can be forgiven because that genre-defying album was so strong. But praise for the quartet's more recent offering Shields is equally widespread with the 10-track disc rightfully landing on many rock critics "best of 2012" lists. "Shields" boasts retro-meets-experimentalism via gems such as "Yet Again," "Gun-Shy" and "Sleeping Ute" that challenge and delight with each listen. The mix of traditional acoustic sounds, emotive vocals and electronic instruments is handled with the skill of noted masters such as Radiohead and Moby. Information: www.grizzly-bear.net.

Artist: Alabama Shakes

Title: Boys & Girls (Ato Records)

You might be interested if you like: Gary Clark Jr., Otis Redding, Joan Osborne, Amy Winehouse

Tell me more: Fans of classic soul, R&B, blues and roots rock will all find something to love on the debut album from Alabama Shakes. One of the biggest breakout acts of 2012, the Athens, Alabama-spawned quartet has been able to mine the past and blend its collective influences into something modern and relevant. From the rollicking old time rocker "Heavy Chevy" to the glorious soul ballad "I Found You" and spirited blues folk rock of "On Your Way," Alabama Shakes' debut Boys & Girls is a sensational disc.   Information: www.AlabamaShakes.com.

Artist: Beach House

Title: Bloom (Sub Pop)

You might be interested if you like: Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star, Other Lives, Grizzly Bear

Tell me more: An intimate and beautiful recording awash with a lush quality that has been dubbed "dream pop," Baltimore, Maryland-based duo Beach House's 2012 offering "Bloom" recalls an artful cross between Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins in that the recording is as much about the sound itself as the individual songs. To close your eyes and play this 10-track album with headphones is to be immersed in an atmosphere awash in pop perfection and sonic ambiance. Information:www.beachhousebaltimore.com.