The Menahan Street Band, after a set of backing soul singer Charles Bradley, took a moment to show off their own chops at the Rolling Stone Rock Room at SXSW. "Keep Coming Back" is a smooth funk track that offers a healthy helping of sax.
Check out their performance above.
The Menahan Street Band, after a set of backing soul singer Charles Bradley, took a moment to show off their own chops at the Rolling Stone Rock Room at SXSW. "Keep Coming Back" is a smooth funk track that offers a healthy helping of sax.
Check out their performance above.
Romy Madley-Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith of the xxThe xx kick off another round of U.S. touring in support of September's Coexist album January 24th in New York City. The band's Romy Madley Croft tells Rolling Stone when the U.K. group comes back for this second round of dates they've got some changes in store, including more of a seamless flow between songs.
"Jamie [Smith] DJs a lot, and there's the whole idea of mixing the songs into one another," she says. They also have new versions of songs from the first album, 2009's xx.
Video: The xx, 'Angels'
For the group, it's part of the challenge to make sure the sets offer something new. "Every day on the sound check we always try and play three things, and if we feel it isn't working we come up with new bits and new ways to keep the songs fresh for ourselves and for people that have come to see us before," she says. "We always are very aware of that and want to make it different and exciting for when they come back."
One thing fans can expect to see is an emphasis on the visuals, which Croft feels are a major part of the xx aesthetic. "The artwork is all something we do ourselves. It's based around the theme of iridescence, and we try and keep that as a theme that goes into our live show with the music and the lighting we use," she says.
One of the band's long-term goals is to create a multimedia feel that represents their collected works. "Each of the songs on both of our albums have an image," says Madley Croft. "In the future I'd like to display them all together as one big kind of collection."
Talking about inspirations for the xx, one band that Croft immediately mentions is Portishead. "Definitely a band that we look up to endlessly and really respect, especially with their attention to detail and sound," she says. "You always kind of get the feeling that they've taken a lot of time and thought into that."
The xx are adopting that approach while taking advantage of all the modern tools to share their music and artwork. For example, they recently released their first app. According to Madley Croft, they were not looking to do an elaborate production so much as to make sure that people got a sense of what Coexist was about.
"We just wanted it to be very simple, but I think the main thing for us is we spent a lot of time with the artwork and creating the booklet that comes with the CD," she says. "And of course nowadays not everyone buys a CD, and we wanted people to get the artwork and the lyrics and really be able to sit there with it and take time to just get into the lyric.
"You can immerse yourself in it," she says. "And when you come to the live show, you see the same sort of images and colors."
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here Romy Madley-Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith of the xxThe xx kick off another round of U.S. touring in support of September's Coexist album January 24th in New York City. The band's Romy Madley Croft tells Rolling Stone when the U.K. group comes back for this second round of dates they've got some changes in store, including more of a seamless flow between songs.
"Jamie [Smith] DJs a lot, and there's the whole idea of mixing the songs into one another," she says. They also have new versions of songs from the first album, 2009's xx.
Video: The xx, 'Angels'
For the group, it's part of the challenge to make sure the sets offer something new. "Every day on the sound check we always try and play three things, and if we feel it isn't working we come up with new bits and new ways to keep the songs fresh for ourselves and for people that have come to see us before," she says. "We always are very aware of that and want to make it different and exciting for when they come back."
One thing fans can expect to see is an emphasis on the visuals, which Croft feels are a major part of the xx aesthetic. "The artwork is all something we do ourselves. It's based around the theme of iridescence, and we try and keep that as a theme that goes into our live show with the music and the lighting we use," she says.
One of the band's long-term goals is to create a multimedia feel that represents their collected works. "Each of the songs on both of our albums have an image," says Madley Croft. "In the future I'd like to display them all together as one big kind of collection."
Talking about inspirations for the xx, one band that Croft immediately mentions is Portishead. "Definitely a band that we look up to endlessly and really respect, especially with their attention to detail and sound," she says. "You always kind of get the feeling that they've taken a lot of time and thought into that."
The xx are adopting that approach while taking advantage of all the modern tools to share their music and artwork. For example, they recently released their first app. According to Madley Croft, they were not looking to do an elaborate production so much as to make sure that people got a sense of what Coexist was about.
"We just wanted it to be very simple, but I think the main thing for us is we spent a lot of time with the artwork and creating the booklet that comes with the CD," she says. "And of course nowadays not everyone buys a CD, and we wanted people to get the artwork and the lyrics and really be able to sit there with it and take time to just get into the lyric.
"You can immerse yourself in it," she says. "And when you come to the live show, you see the same sort of images and colors."
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here
Fran Kranz stars as ‘Marty’ in 'The Cabin In The Woods.' Fran Kranz may not be a household name yet, but he's a familiar face to fans of Joss Whedon's beloved short-lived TV series Dollhouse. And, luckily for Kranz, the cult hero writer and director behind Buffy and Angel has made a habit of taking actors under his wing and casting them in multiple projects (see: Nathan Fillion, Eliza Dushku).
Kranz, whose first movie role was a bit part in Donnie Darko, is returning to "Whedonverse" with a starring role in the filmmaker's topsy-turvy, anything-goes horror flick The Cabin in the Woods, which, after being shelved for more than two years due to distribution problems, could become his breakout role.
Rolling Stone spoke with Kranz about The Cabin in the Woods, his man-crush on co-star Chris Hemsworth and what it's like working with Whedon.
Nabbing a role on Dollhouse dropped you into the rabid world of "Whedonverse." What's that been like?
I'm so lucky. If I stop and really think about how much Joss has done for me, it's embarrassing. When I first got the part someone asked me, "Are you ready for Whedon fans?" And I just kinda said, "I dunno, whatever." [Laughs.] And sure enough, they were rating the cast online and I was consistently at the bottom. I remember there was an IMDB post saying I was the most annoying person in the world. But my character, Topher, had such a wonderful arc that people came around to him. So then I had people saying, "I hated you at first but now you're my favorite character on the show." That's definitely indicative of Joss' work.
Why did your Cabin in the Woods character, Marty, appeal to you as an actor?
I'll be honest, playing a stoner is fun. But Marty really goes on a journey. He's not your typical slacker-stoner. Reading the script, I couldn't believe where it went. Even though he's stoned, he's suspicious of what's going on and he's the first to put his finger on the reality of the situation. He's kinda like Shaggy meets Scooby. I knew immediately he could be an audience favorite, and the journey he makes shows some versatility for me as an actor. I've played a slacker before, but Marty's in a league of his own.
I've heard you got into character by smoking various substances. Care to elaborate?
We have to kill those rumors about me smoking real pot on the set. I take my job very seriously. I'm always sober on set. But I had to smoke a lot of fake pot. In the rehearsal process everyone had various jobs to do to rehearse for the film. Chris Hemsworth learned how to ride a motorcycle; Kristen Connolly and Jesse Williams did scuba diving training; and I went to pot school. I literally spent hours a day rolling joints, smoking various pipes and bongs. I was jealous of Chris [learning to ride a motorcycle], that's what you really want to be doing. Now that guy can do everything. He's like running around on horseback wielding hammers and stuff in Thor.
Cabin was shot back in 2009, before Chris even landed the role of Thor. While working with him were you like, "This guy's going places"?
I swear to God, early on I was telling everyone, "This guy's a movie star." He's a natural at this stuff, he's gorgeous and he gets it. I have the biggest man-crush on him. It was love at first sight. When he was talking about auditioning for Thor, we were all like, "That's perfect!" I think Joss even called [Thor director] Kenneth Branagh asking, "What are you waiting for?" Then one day we were all having lunch, and Chris got up from the table and when he came back he was a movie star. [Laughs.] He got the phone call and that was it.
You also star in Joss' upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. What can we expect from that?
It was all done at Joss' house in 11 days. It was such an organic process that I didn't realize we were making a movie till halfway through shooting. I know that sounds bizarre, but Joss has people over all the time to sit around, drink wine and read Shakespeare in his backyard. So I got an email saying, "I'm doing another reading, but I want to film this one. I want you to play Claudio as a temperamental jock." He talked about releasing it on the Internet, like Dr. Horrible. Then on the last day of shooting, he mentioned festivals like Toronto and Venice. Now everyone is expecting "The Joss Whedon film, Much Ado About Nothing." I can't imagine what the budget was, but there's no way it was over half a million. But I'm not about to say it's a home video, even though that literally is sort of what it is. I have high hopes, but you never know, you know? [Laughs.]
Have you talked to him about working on anything else together?
No. I did tell him, though, that I wanted to be killed by Thor in [his upcoming film] The Avengers. I just wanted to be a random bad guy who gets a hammer to the face, but he didn't come through. I imagine there might be a second Avengers, and if he's at the helm I'm really gonna be persistent. I don't need to be paid, I don't need credit, I'll bring my own lunch to set. It's more for me to say, "I was killed by Chris Hemsworth!" Joss is well aware of the sort of love affair Chris and I have, so I'm confident it'll work out.
You're currently appearing in Death of a Salesman on Broadway alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman. How does live theater compare to film and TV?
It's my first time on Broadway, and it's such a big deal for me and in so many ways overwhelming, but it's also given me a lot of confidence and been very comfortable. Each day is amazing and perplexing and inspiring and humbling. In film and TV, you have several shots to get it right and everyone's there to make sure you get it right. In theater you can't be afraid of getting on stage and [potentially] making a fool of yourself. I feel like that will help me return to the film and TV process with a greater amount of relaxation.
Billy Bragg and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.Ian Gavan/Getty Images and Douglas Mason/Getty ImagesA third volume of the Wilco-Billy Bragg collaboration Mermaid Avenue is in the works. Billy Bragg just announced on his website that Nonesuch Records will be putting out a new album featuring 17 previously unreleased songs from the original recording sessions that produced 1998’s Mermaid Avenue and 2000’s Mermaid Avenue Volume II.
The new volume will be part of a package celebrating the centennial of the birth of folk legend Woody Guthrie, whose orphaned lyrics formed the basis of all the Mermaid Avenue material. The four-disc set called Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions will include remastered versions of the first two volumes of Mermaid Avenue, the new one, and Kim Hopkins’ 1999 documentary Man in the Sand, which chronicled the Mermaid Avenue collaboration.
While dates for the set’s release have not yet been announced, Bragg says on his website that he’ll be playing a series of shows focusing on Woody Guthrie’s legacy and the Mermaid Avenue songs.
"I’ll be playing acoustic instruments and singing from the book of lyrics which I compiled from the archives and used during the sessions, quoting from Woody’s handwritten notes that are often tagged onto the manuscripts," Bragg says.
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here Billy Bragg and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.Ian Gavan/Getty Images and Douglas Mason/Getty ImagesA third volume of the Wilco-Billy Bragg collaboration Mermaid Avenue is in the works. Billy Bragg just announced on his website that Nonesuch Records will be putting out a new album featuring 17 previously unreleased songs from the original recording sessions that produced 1998’s Mermaid Avenue and 2000’s Mermaid Avenue Volume II.
The new volume will be part of a package celebrating the centennial of the birth of folk legend Woody Guthrie, whose orphaned lyrics formed the basis of all the Mermaid Avenue material. The four-disc set called Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions will include remastered versions of the first two volumes of Mermaid Avenue, the new one, and Kim Hopkins’ 1999 documentary Man in the Sand, which chronicled the Mermaid Avenue collaboration.
While dates for the set’s release have not yet been announced, Bragg says on his website that he’ll be playing a series of shows focusing on Woody Guthrie’s legacy and the Mermaid Avenue songs.
"I’ll be playing acoustic instruments and singing from the book of lyrics which I compiled from the archives and used during the sessions, quoting from Woody’s handwritten notes that are often tagged onto the manuscripts," Bragg says.
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here Lil Wayne visits Club Compound in Atlanta.Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman has promised a new Lil Wayne album before the beginning of summer. "Wayne's got an album he’s about to drop real soon," the rapper and businessman told Complex. "It's called I Am Not A Human Being 2. It's gonna be before the summer for sure. We haven’t picked the date yet. Whenever he’s ready to drop his album, we're gonna make it do what it do. He’s definitely got an album done and ready to go."
Birdman also clarified the status of Like Father, Like Son 2, the sequel to his 2006 collaborative album with Lil Wayne. "We got that finished too. We’ve been recording that. We never stopped recording [for] that," he said. "When we get ready to drop it, we'll probably do that in the fourth quarter. Wayne wants to do the I Am Not A Human Being 2 and I want to do my solo album too, so we'll probably do that later on."
Speaking about his forthcoming solo disc, Birdman says the new set is one of his best projects. "We always say that, but I mean, you're supposed to always get better with time," he said. "We got so much growth, experience, and we're surrounded by great, young talent. They make it so easy for me to do music and I’m still enjoying it. I don’t love nothing more in life, outside of God and my family, than working with this music and [turning] these youngsters [on Cash Money] into superstars."
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here Lil Wayne visits Club Compound in Atlanta.Cash Money Records co-founder Birdman has promised a new Lil Wayne album before the beginning of summer. "Wayne's got an album he’s about to drop real soon," the rapper and businessman told Complex. "It's called I Am Not A Human Being 2. It's gonna be before the summer for sure. We haven’t picked the date yet. Whenever he’s ready to drop his album, we're gonna make it do what it do. He’s definitely got an album done and ready to go."
Birdman also clarified the status of Like Father, Like Son 2, the sequel to his 2006 collaborative album with Lil Wayne. "We got that finished too. We’ve been recording that. We never stopped recording [for] that," he said. "When we get ready to drop it, we'll probably do that in the fourth quarter. Wayne wants to do the I Am Not A Human Being 2 and I want to do my solo album too, so we'll probably do that later on."
Speaking about his forthcoming solo disc, Birdman says the new set is one of his best projects. "We always say that, but I mean, you're supposed to always get better with time," he said. "We got so much growth, experience, and we're surrounded by great, young talent. They make it so easy for me to do music and I’m still enjoying it. I don’t love nothing more in life, outside of God and my family, than working with this music and [turning] these youngsters [on Cash Money] into superstars."
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here
Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart in San Francisco in 1968.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images A massive new exhibit chronicling the Grateful Dead's 30-year odyssey is coming to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip opens at the Cleveland museum on April 12th, two days before the Rock Hall's annual induction ceremony. The Mickey Hart Band will perform at the exhibit's opening event. "The band gave their full blessing to the project," says Howard Kramer, the Hall of Fame's Director of Curatorial Affairs. "They allowed me unfettered access to their warehouse and offered up items from their personal collection, which is how you want this process to work."
The exhibit will feature five Jerry Garcia guitars; handwritten lyrics to "Box of Rain," "Truckin'," Sugaree" and many other classics; Micky Hart's custom-painted drum kit; and artifacts from the band's longtime sound designer Owsley "Bear" Stanley, alongside many other objects from the group's long career. "Jerry Garcia's guitars carry a lot of emotional weight with the fans," says Kramer. "And the handwritten manuscripts, including a working version of 'Fire on the Mountain,' are stunning."
The artifacts will be presented in a non-linear manner, and will focus not only on the band – but on their hugely devoted fanbase as well. "The Grateful Dead created a culture around them that is a much richer story to tell than just the recounting of events that they were part of," says Kramer. "The story of the Grateful Dead is as much about the people around them as it is about the band themselves."
The exhibit is scheduled to close in December.
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart in San Francisco in 1968.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images A massive new exhibit chronicling the Grateful Dead's 30-year odyssey is coming to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip opens at the Cleveland museum on April 12th, two days before the Rock Hall's annual induction ceremony. The Mickey Hart Band will perform at the exhibit's opening event. "The band gave their full blessing to the project," says Howard Kramer, the Hall of Fame's Director of Curatorial Affairs. "They allowed me unfettered access to their warehouse and offered up items from their personal collection, which is how you want this process to work."
The exhibit will feature five Jerry Garcia guitars; handwritten lyrics to "Box of Rain," "Truckin'," Sugaree" and many other classics; Micky Hart's custom-painted drum kit; and artifacts from the band's longtime sound designer Owsley "Bear" Stanley, alongside many other objects from the group's long career. "Jerry Garcia's guitars carry a lot of emotional weight with the fans," says Kramer. "And the handwritten manuscripts, including a working version of 'Fire on the Mountain,' are stunning."
The artifacts will be presented in a non-linear manner, and will focus not only on the band – but on their hugely devoted fanbase as well. "The Grateful Dead created a culture around them that is a much richer story to tell than just the recounting of events that they were part of," says Kramer. "The story of the Grateful Dead is as much about the people around them as it is about the band themselves."
The exhibit is scheduled to close in December.
To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here
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