Neil Young Still Knows How to Protest

Hey everyone! Hope your Easter was fantastic, and I hope everyone had a chance to celebrate. People in the UK certainly did, but more on that later.

Neil Young was known for his protest songs in the mid seventies. The song "Ohio" was easily his most famous one, documenting his thoughts on the shootings at Kent State in Kent, Ohio. If you know the song, you'll remember that the words of the refrain, "Four dead in Ohio," repeat over and over, calling to mind the tragedy and asking people to face that harsh reality.

As Harp Magazine reported in an article last week, the SXSW Managing Director Ronald Swenson addressed Young with the simple request, "Neil, we need a new song." Now Swenson gets his wish; the song is called, "Impeach the President." Controversial enough for you?

The song is the feature track for Young's new album, Living With War, a spontaneous album recorded in only three days. Accompanied by a 100-member choir, Young cries, "In the mosques and the doors of the old museum, I take a holy vow, to never kill again, try to remember peace."

No exact date has been announced, save the suggestion that it will be in stores soon. Meanwhile, apparently there are rumours about a CSNY reunion tour. If that's the case, maybe you'll get to hear it live soon, too.

In other news...

Back to the whole Easter in the UK thing. If you haven't heard about the Manchester Passion, you really need to read this, because it's seriously one of the funniest things I've ever heard of. As a Christian I should probably be offended by it since it's kind of a mockery of Jesus' death, but I can't help but find it slightly humourous. So here's what happened: On the streets of Manchester, England, a group of mostly unknown actors performed a passion play that featured Jesus, Peter, Judas, and others singing hit songs from British bands such as Stone Roses, Joy Division, and Oasis. A crowd of 7000 witnessed the spectacle live and in person, but you can witness it for yourself via YouTube.

And while we're on the subject of videos on the internet, you can see Jack White's new Coca-Cola commercial courtesy of Miss Modernage.

You know, I get really frustrated when things like this happen. It really isn't fair, especially when you're touring, to get all your things stolen. So it's really a shame that it happened to Rosie Thomas and her band, especially since they are currently mid-tour. The theft occurred after a show in Philadelphia, so if you live there, please keep an eye out for all the equipment on the list. It's just such a horrible thing. I really hope things work out for Rosie and company.

Congrats, on the other hand, to The Flaming Lips! Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots has officially gone gold, according to Filter. The article also reports that you can buy a special edition copy of the new LP, At War with the Mystics, exclusively on the internet, and it features three extra tracks, including a rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." The Lips are going on tour as well, and they'll be in Ohio on August 3rd at Blossom.

A couple interviews to exercise your eyes to (links courtesy of Largehearted Boy)
Rainer Maria's Kyle Fischer with The News Observer
Wilco's Glenn Kotche with Jambands.com

It's so nice to see awesome bands getting respect and blog coverage not once but twice! My buds Anathallo have recently released a new album entitled Floating World, and Skatterbrain likens it to Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, and maybe a hint of Frank Zappa. You Ain't No Picasso describes it as "a delightful folk/pop mix that flies in the face of everything we consider to be a ‘normal’ pop song." Spot on. Go listen/buy/fall in love with the new album immediately! The blogosphere has spoken!

Lots more album release news! This one is featuring Jimmy Tamborello. You may know him from his more famous project, The Postal Service. Yet even without the crooning of Ben Gibbard, Tamborello is a ridiculously talented guy. Coming to a store near you on July 11 is his latest release: Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake. Jenny Lewis is just one of the several guests on this album. It's probably a keeper, so I recommend it.

A re-release is on its way from Sigur Ros to your ears. The hit single "Hoppipolla" will be back on May 1. It will also feature a new version of a song previously released on their first album, Von, but it's way too difficult to type out so I'll just let you read the article to figure it out for yourself.

I first heard about Aloha from my friend John, and now I'm reading about them on Cokemachineglow. Looks like Some Echoes is a pretty solid album after all. Consider checking that out too.

And while you're checking out all of these albums, here are a couple other ones scheduled to be released tomorrow that you might want to look for:
Dresden Dolls - Yes Virginia
Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
Elefant - The Black Magic Show
Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

Upcoming Columbus Shows
04.17: John Vanderslice, Wooden Wand, and Eric Metronome - High Five
04.20: Invisibile Children Benefit featuring John Reuben, House of Heroes, Everyday Sunday, and Secondhand - The LC Pavilion
04.21: Heavy Mole - High Five
04.21: Enon, Black Cloud, and Stylex - Little Brother's
04.29: The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10: Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.17: Heather Waugh and Ellery - Little Brother's
07.06: Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

Okay I spent way too much time on this post... See you guys next time.