Quickie update

Guy Garvey's new interview with BBC Manchester mentions that Elbow will be releasing a live EP next Monday of "Grace Under Pressure" performed live at this year's Glastonbury festival. If it's properly mastered, it should be amazing- the album version uses crowd vocals from their 2002 Glastonbury performance, and by all accounts this year's was even better.

Here's the tracklist (from the band's official site):

1. Grace Under Pressure (edit)
2. Switching Off (album version)
3. Waving From Windows
4. Not A Job [acoustic track from Radio 2 Stuart Maconie session]
5. Grace Under Pressure (live from Glastonbury 2004)

Aside from a radio edit of "Grace Under Pressure," no previously published tracks. Excellent. If you've never heard any Elbow- not likely if you're interested enough in music to be reading this, yes, but certainly possible (especially if you're in the States)- what are you waiting for? They're fantastic, one of the best mainstream rock bands going today. I'd post an mp3, but all my Elbow CDs are at home and my trusty Nomad mp3 player has recently up and died, so listen here.

Also!

The reports of a new MF Doom album under his Viktor Vaughn alias have been substantiated. Here's the press release:



The industry has churned out many rap stars during the last few decades, but it has delivered very few Hip Hop super heroes and only one Super Villain. MF DOOM, is definitely underground Hip Hop's most mysterious entity, and his alter ego, VIKTOR VAUGHN, is even more shadowy.

After receiving critical acclaim for "MadVillainy" and previously for Vaughn's debut "Vaudeville Villain," the faceless rhyme scoundrel has returned to bring a new era of cyber rap with "VV:2" aka "VENOMOUS VILLAIN."

"VV:2" is a different kind of Hip Hop record; it's engulfed in cryptic messages and cutting edge production that delivers both a classic Hip Hop vibe and a cutting edge one. Vaughn is also accompanied by some underground contenders including StrongHold's Poison Pen (on the venomous street tale, "Bloody Chain"), MARS ILL's Manchild and executive producer and longtime emcee IZ-REAL on "R.A.P. G.A.M.E." and the new rap miscreant, Carl Kavorkian, on "Dope Skill." However, no cameo is more welcome on VV:2 than that of Hip Hop's original and reigning enigma, KOOL KEITH (aka Dr. Dooom, aka Dr. Octagon, etc.). The electrified and beat-burned "Doper Skiller" delivers Hip Hop's two cult favorites bringing lyrical carnage like only they can.

Executive producer, IZ-REAL (the creator of the critically acclaimed Insomniac releases "The Mic Planet Sessions" and " The Drastic Jungle Project"), scouted, assembled and directed a skilled cast of up and coming beat creators and DJs from all walks to complete "VV:2." Some of the featured beat-makers include New York's Dub L (Aesop Rock), Chicago acid jazz veteran DJ I.N.C., Philly beat maker Session 31, experimentalistic DJ System D128, and Orlando based electro-beat magician DiViNCi, who works digital sorcery on tracks with his unique glitch scratching effects¾ enhancing the work of dope scratchers such as Sure Shot (1200 Hobos), drum n bass DJ Escher and System D128.

VIKTOR is in prime lyrical form, continually bringing verbal onslaught and dark dramatic tales of blight from outside the space-time continuum. Personality #1, DOOM, also makes appearances on tracks including the high energy, electro-hyped, "Pop Quiz," which he once again spits cyber rap flames with IZ-REAL.

What is "VV:2"? Among other things, it's a dramatic, progressively thugged-out, future-rap, classic soundtrack for fans of a genre without boundaries.

The "VV:2" release will also feature a bonus enhanced element. When put into a CD-ROM, viewers will be able to watch a mini-documentary based on Insomniac's critically acclaimed release "THE MIC PLANET SESSIONS." "The Mic Planet Sessions" features many top lyricists including MF DOOM, KOOL KEITH, PLANET ASIA, MYSTIC and others.

Look for "VV:2" in stores in late August 2004.

Kool Keith and Doom. Ooh yes. I'm a bit worried about this- Doom seems to put out an album, productions, or guest verse almost every month, and while he hasn't put his name on anything bad yet, I hope he doesn't spread himself too thin. Also a bit surprised this isn't on SoundInk. The cover art is neat, though.

EDIT Said the Gramophone is hosting "Doper Skiller," the track with Kool Keith, and it's really good stuff. I'm not sure what to think about the electronic-heavy production- it sounds a bit tinny, but to be fair I'm listening through laptop speakers (bad headphone jack) and can't really give it a fair evaluation. I'm much less worried now, though, since Doom and Keith work incredibly well together- vocal-wise, this is easily the equal of "Never Dead" with M. Sayyid off the last Viktor Vaughn album (Vaudeville Villain).